


The Shape of Soul

by Omoni



Series: Undertale Writing Challenges [5]
Category: The Shape of Water (2017), Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: A lot of snails get eaten tho, Almost-redeemable sans, Alphynecentric, Alphys/Undyne-centric (Undertale), Alternate Universe, Angst With A Bittersweet Ending, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Crossover, Explosive when lit, F/F, F/M, Fish-fucker, Gay Sex, I know this has been done before and I don't care., I'm Going to Hell, Ironic love, Lesbian Relationship, Lesbian Sex, Lewff, Lizard licker, Love in All Forms, M/M, Masturbation, Mild Gore, Mutual Masturbation, No cats are eaten, No sexual assault, Non-crass use of the word "cunt", Questionable use of a pillow, Severe Violence, Sex is in chapters 40 and 41, Slight gore (injured eye), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2019-10-19 05:16:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 62
Words: 188,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17595281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omoni/pseuds/Omoni
Summary: A crossover of The Shape of Water (mostly the book version, though; trust me) and Undertale, in which we have a silent janitor enslaved to a routine of necessity, within the only company that would hire her - Deltarune (Occam) - Industries.After fifteen years of anonymity, Alphys suddenly finds herself thrust into a situation that would change her world forever - and enslave her heart to someone else, whose eyes met hers the moment she walks into a prison, seeingher...Yes, I absolutely going there, and I do not fucking care if it's been done before.I will be drawing mostly from the novel novelisation, as it is incredible, so much better than the movie - and I fucking love that movie. This is an alternate universe, in which the humans and monsters still share the surface - but with tensions that are clearly smilies of the Cold/Space War of the 50s and 60s of our world, especially when the monsters are segregated to the Underground...And yes, pancakes: this is NOT a parody. I am absolutely taking this seriously. I love both of these stories. They belong together.Enjoy!





	1. Memory and Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Brief notes about this universe:
> 
> -There is no barrier; humans have segregated the monsters underground, for thirty years at this point. They can still work in human-owned places, but clearly for less. Tension between the two peoples are high, both trying to come out on top.
> 
> -Gaster is alive, the CEO of Deltarune Industries. He has been working on trying to strengthen average monsters, to find a way to change a monster's soul into a Boss Monster's soul.
> 
> -Asriel and Chara are alive. Chara ran away from the humans (personal reasons), and was still adopted by the Dreemurrs. Both grew up segregated; by this time, they are both twenty.
> 
> -The timelines are merged so that our main characters still exist, but alongside characters who died before they were born.
> 
> -All work done at Deltarune is toward the same outcome: finding the means to take the surface back, and segregate the humans, instead. The idea is to attempt to create Boss Monsters, to give them a fighting chance.
> 
> -As the only known Boss Monsters, Toriel and Asgore are kept busy. They were dethroned when segregation happened, and kept to themselves for a while, until Gaster took over the Core, and wanted to make sure that they won't sabotage his work in revenge for being dethroned by him. He hired them both to keep them humiliated, and it works. They also don't want harm to come to their kids - especially Chara - so they of course obey.
> 
> -Alphys lives in Hotland and works as a janitor for Deltarune. Her hire was no accident, but she doesn't know that, let alone why. She and Toriel are best friends at work.
> 
> -Mettaton is her best friend, and though they fight sometimes, they're still friends and neighbours
> 
> If there is anything missing, let me know. I hope to write this story in a way that you don't need to know the movie to enjoy it :3

**PART ONE: DO YOU REMEMBER?**

The dream.

The dream she always has, and knows it as the memories she wishes she could forget - but her mind refuses to let her.

Memories, like a montage, but narrated by the last words Alphys remembers hearing her mother say to her - and her own, present thoughts, in reply...

 _Mother, whose body and face I now have, perhaps even her voice – I don't remember, why can't I remember? – what_ did _she sound like...?_

She speaks, now, serious words, ones Alphys needs to remember, even if the voice will be forgotten.

 _Her voice must have been the same as my own,_ she decides, _though she said words I never would..._

_“You're not normal, anymore, Alphys. I'm sorry; I never meant for this, any of this, to happen to you... but...”_

_Had there been hesitation?_ Alphys wonders. _Or is that just fancy...?_

She remembers the feel of her mother's familiar hands, ones trusted and kind, suddenly digging into Alphys's sides, claws raking across her flanks, back to belly, on each side, tearing out strips of skin, leaving _more_ slash-lines of blood...

Between and around the others... those similar, accidental, _natural_ lines, the blood filling those lines, too...

 _Though, now,_ she admits, _they truly_ do _look like clawmarks, even to me, despite knowing that they certainly are_ not _..._

_What were they, then?_

_Why did they make her so crazy?_

_Why did she make more, if they disturbed her so much...?_

She hears her mother screaming, wordless, as she keeps clawing at her daughter, while someone – _maybe my father?_ – pulls her back and slaps her to calm her down, all while she screams into his face, then falls to her knees...

But she does calm with that strike, falling to his feet, her hands held up and open, her forehead pressing to the floor...

_Silently begging him for Mercy..._

All while Alphys begins to bleed to death upon the cold, metal gurney, forgotten and useless, now...

_“…but I cannot be sentimental. No. I wish I could say that I did love you like a real mother would...”_

Alphys recalls feeling of being bandaged, still woozy from drugs, the pain a murmur instead of a scream, as her mother speaks these words to her at her bedside, the words flat and empty.

_“But I cannot compromise my integrity.”_

Barely, from afar, Alphys is forced to watch her walk away, down the hall of the hospital; she keeps watching, and waiting, for her to come back, too slow and stupid to catch on to what her life now was...

 _“But I do mean this: I_ wanted _to, Alphys.”_

_The voice, what did it sound like?_

_Was it ever sweet?_

_Happy? Encouraging?_

_Was it ever loving?_

_“I wanted to love you.”_

Alphys wishes she would hold her hand, wishes she could feel the touch of the person who had given birth to her for the very last time.

But her mother keeps them within her lap, folded and far away, as if she'd anticipated Alphys's needs - and rejected them, before they can even happen...

 _“I wanted to. Maybe I did,_ before _I met you.”_

 _Did_ he _even know what she did?_

Was _he my father?_

_If not, where is my real father?_

_If so, where is he, still...?_

_“But when I finally held you in my arms, I knew: you were not lovable.”_

A baby.

She knows this about a _baby_.

She knows this about _her_ _own baby._

She thinks such a thing was normal, to judge a person the second they are born, but even Alphys takes a long time to accept those words.

To accept the truth.

_“Nobody will love you, Alphys.”_

_Did my dad love me?_

_Did_ that man _love me?_

_Are they the same?_

_Did he even know he was a father, whoever he was...?_

_“I'm saying this to you, now, so that you know the truth from the very start, so that you can find a way to survive knowing it.”_

Her mother is a monster, just like all of them.

Alphys has always known that her mother did not love her. But now, she realises, too late, that it's worse than that.

_“You are a failed experiment, Alphys. You are a failure.”_

Her mother is a monster.

But with those words, she is as cruel as a human.

 _That's why I was there,_ Alphys sighs, _because she'd experimented on me, on my eighteenth birthday._

_She spent eighteen years caring for a child she despised, but in a way that had me duped into believing that I was loved, in order to use me as "a perfect specimen", for a fatal experiment, when the time was right..._

_Heh, maybe not_ love. _More like tolerance._

_Duty._

_A job._

_A project._

_A specimen study._

_A failed experiment_ _._

_A failure..._

Her pain wakes her up in that hospital bed, and when she realises where she is, she tries to understand what has happened.

Her mother just tested on her.

She poisoned Alphys's body.

She watched that poison hurt and mutate her own child, in ways she'd never expected, or prepared for.

She sliced her own daughter up because of that carelessness, ruining Alphys for the rest of her life...

But still, and always, _Alphys_ is, and remains, a failure.

Alphys, by surviving, but not in the way she "should have” been, had ruined almost two decades of waiting, experimenting, breeding, and testing.

Alphys was raised an oblivious test animal, only to conclude her life's purpose with complete failure and abandonment.

And all of was done without Alphys's knowledge - _or_ consent.

Her mother sees those two decades of hard work vanish, the second Alphys opens her eyes - and reveals herself as a defective case study...

And when Alphys failed, through no fault or choice of her own, her mother tried to kill her for it.

_Perhaps..._

_He saved me._

_He pulled her away._

_He brought me to the hospital, to get me help, and she followed him, de_ _spite her refusal to help._

_At least he didn't want a murder on his - and her - hands..._

Alphys cries, feeling _real_ pain, the second she sees her mother walk away from her, and toward him, taking his hand and letting him pull her away...

 _Or did_ she _pull_ him _away...?_

As far as Alphys sees, regardless of who started it, neither even bother to look back.

_“Therefore, I am disposing of you.”_

The words are like a slap.

Alphys remembers a great deal of pain.

Maybe she _was_ slapped.

Maybe it was just a dramatic flare within a disjointed, feverish dream...

“ _You are now an orphan, Alphys.”_

Alphys wishes she could forget learning, a month into her recovery, that she and him are both gone, either killed by their work – or killed by each other.

Or the fact that Alphys's care is now her own, with only a small amount of government help - due to the nature of that abandonment - but only enough to cover her hospital bills.

_I never found out who the man had been._

_I never found out who my father had been._

_I never found out if they were one and the same._

“ _You will always be alone, now. You are broken. The fact that we're here means I’m being too soft, but he is too merciful.”_

_Mercy._

_Where is_ my _Mercy?_

This _is merciful...?_

_Being dumped in a hospital?_

_Signed off as a ward of the Crown?_

_“Never forget that you should be dead, Alphys.”_

_I think she sounded like me, maybe..._

_It's been so long._

Her injured sides pulsing alongside her heart, her breaking heart, her bleeding soul...

She knows that none of those will ever heal, in full, for the rest of her life...

_“You are dead to me. You died the moment you opened your eyes."_

Alphys recalls _that_ second sentence the most, clearer than any dream, now.

Her mind focuses on it, now, and now, it's all she can remember...

_"...the moment you opened your eyes..."_

_Which time?_

_After the experiment?_

_Or just now, on your way out?_

It hurts Alphys, these cruelties, enough to actually want to try and speak up for herself, for the first time in her life, to try and explain, but...

_But..._

_I remember that first inhalation, how normal it was, how I always took it for granted, that taking a breath meant I had something that had to be said, that deserved to be heard..._

But when Alphys tries, nothing comes out, save perhaps high-pitched, broken squeaks.

Her eyes flare with shock, her hands at her throat, still trying to speak, just as her mother stands up to leave, clearly anticipating this.

Alphys reached out, trying to grab her, mouthing words that were only puffs of air, or shrill, broken whining...

_I couldn't protest, say a word, make a sound longer than mere seconds of claws-on-metal..._

And her mother knows it.

The last thing Alphys ever sees of her mother and her work partner, as the turn the corner and leave her behind, is the tip of her tail, and the hem of his coat...

She's never been able to remember her mother's voice, despite knowing that it must have been hers own.

 _But it's been years, and I don't remember how_ either _of us sounded like, now...  
_

_It wasn't like his, I think. Or if it was, I never found out._

_I never met him._

_I never met_ either _of them..._

Because that's why she is a failed experiment: whatever had been done to Alphys had also stolen her voice.

_She took away the voice of her own child, alongside a family, a home, a life..._

_Why...?_

_"I wanted to love you..."_

Reaching out, crying silently, her sides bursting their stitches as she throws herself out of the bed...

_Don't leave me! I'll be good! Please! Come back!_

But nothing comes out, and no one comes back.

* * *

The buzz of her alarm dragged Alphys awake.

With a sigh, her eyes opened, and her hand reached out to silence it.


	2. Lost and Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently discovered that this has indeed been done - and with sans as the Asset, and "You" as Elisa. I knew it. I fucking knew it. HOW?! WHY NOT ALPHYNE?!
> 
> I'll let you know if I find more.

It took him fifteen years, but he found her, again.

He found her where he knew she would be, where he'd always known she had been; it was why he made sure no one else went there: to trap her.

And it worked.

He was surprised to discover her to be that careless. It wasn't like her. It wasn't like her to be found vulnerable, to let herself be vulnerable.

Especially after the last time she'd seen him - and he'd seen her.

They were bringing her in today; of course he had _others_ to do the dirty work for him. He claimed victory over the retrieval, but knew it took more than him to find her.

He, himself, had continuously failed for a decade and a half, and decided that it was because she ran away. He never once bothered to consider that it actually was just failure on his part, because he knew he could never fail - even when he did.

A leader never fails, because no one sees them do it.

The two people he'd hired to search for her were new faces to Deltarune, faces he hadn't seen before. But then again, it wasn't as if the Underground was _sealed._

Though there _was_ always a chance of never meeting someone new, ever again, especially if the humans had their way...

That was why he needed her so badly, again: his latest attempt had failed, and he'd used all he'd retrieved from her during the years of her absence, certain it would work without her.

 _Arrogance_.

When she'd escaped, it was a venture pieced together with what he'd been told, later, by everyone involved; each admitted that most of it was herself, alone, their involvement either involuntary (drugged) or forced (threatened).

It was not long after he'd discovered his most recent failure, and alongside the bleak chaos following it, he was also careless, not keeping her under closer guard.

 _Especially_ because of what she'd also, somehow, found out - and escaped with such knowledge...

 _This time,_ he vowed, _will not be easy. She will_ never _leave here, again._

_Alive, at least..._

Last time, she was young, probably fourteen or fifteen, but already, he could tell that she _had_ to be one, just by how she _looked_. He'd hunted the rest of her home for others like her, but only found her. So, he took her back to Deltarune, and the experiments began.

She _was_ obedient, then; a young monster, confused and scared by the methods with which she'd been brought here, but more scared of the humans, and what _they_ could possibly do to her. She had no idea why she was there, and had naïve hope that it was something interesting, or something to protect her from the humans she feared.

She was still a monster, just like him, and had that insatiable curiosity for problem solving, an innate skill for solving puzzles, and he used that against her, like any good scientist would.

She at first was cooperative, as she was clearly an orphan, and had little to lose.

And his fingers were dipped in silver, making her believe what would never be true, no matter what she did - or how much she gave. She was never given a true reason as to why she was there, and knew only what she was told: not much.

Until, through eavesdropping, she found out that she actually _did_ have a great deal of worth – and that he was using her to _'make others like her',_ using what he'd stolen from her _'upon a key test subject - you know the one.'_

She discovered that he couldn't afford to lose her, so she did all she could to get lost.

She tried everything covert, but could get no one to help her (he'd trained his staff well), and failed each attempt.

_At first._

She thought he hadn't know of the extent her prior attempts, but of course he had - save in two instances he'd never anticipated, but later felt he _should_ have - that she could be as clever as as she was manipulative.

When she'd later overheard that the first experiment had gone _very_ bad, she realised that he was _hurting_ _people_ with what he'd stolen from her, and couldn't bear it.

She'd been lied to, and was being used as a weapon, and apparently couldn't accept it.

He knew that was how she'd seen it, because he'd seen it in her escape, hours too late to chase after her. He'd been away, cleaning the mess left behind by that first test, and had come back and found her gone.

Even in the grainy fuzz of a video monitor, he could see that she was noble; she hurt no one when she escaped, only drugging a few guards she needed to sneak by, and making sure they were close to a source of help before leaving them behind.

_Even that young, she was what she was, even if she didn't know it._

She'd slipped between his fingers, giving the last camera the pearl, alongside a wicked, sharp-toothed grin, before vanishing into the shadows, around the corner, and out of the camera's sight.

For fifteen years.

He couldn't wait to see her, again, if he was being honest.

The fact that he'd only been told she was found, long after they'd had her captured, was something he both hated and appreciated. He would have wanted the pleasure of capturing her, himself, but he hadn't hired those two for nothing, and was glad they'd made sure she was unable to escape before giving him the news.

An entire hanger – F1 – had been left alone for all of those fifteen years, for this reason; he'd demanded that the staff kept its keep up to date, regardless if it was ever used, because he vowed he would bring its occupant back. The offices, infirmary, and testing rooms were maintained daily, just in case she was found.

And the two staff assigned to F1 permanently were there for that reason, despite only one of them knowing why.

But he knew _she_ would never rebel.

The other, the oblivious one, he knew - in passing, now, but he knew for a fact that she was mute. He didn't have to worry about _her_ spreading anything, or getting entangled in anything, and her supervisor wouldn't _dare_ to try that.

He knew where she and her family lived _and_ worked, after all, having been the one to make it all happen.

To this day, they were _still_ assigned to F1, and especially on this day, he didn't hesitate, and kept them assigned there.

They knew protest and gossip, let alone interference, would cost them more than either were willing to give. They'd both signed the waver, and knew how its power worked.

That was just how _Deltarune_ worked.

One went in knowing they were required to leave all they did there, there, and never went home with loose lips. Gossip was only internal, and even then, it was the gossip of the truly bored: _Shyra styled her hair like that, does she think she's human? So what if he said they were free, you were really gonna eat butt-pocket-burgers?_ That kind of harmless thing.

If anything, the second these two both realised that F-1 was no longer empty would also be the second they knew they could not protest against this change, and were still required to do their jobs, regardless.

They'd, after all, been there for fifteen years, too.

He wondered if they were waiting for an occupant, or had truly accepted the boredom of their monotonous lives, as neither showed any potential mutinous behaviour, after all of these years.

The mute one, he knew, expected nothing more but enough gold to have a home, food, clothes, and books.

But the _other_ , the mute's supervisor, was one he felt a little wary of.

If there was ever a conversation between the two that went beyond common workplace camaraderie, especially after this immense chance, the potential consequences were...

 _No_ , he thought sharply, his eyes still fixed on the screen that was positioned in the delivery bay.

All he could see were some of the day-timers lingering, waiting for the precise minute of clock-out, and he was so tense that he chose to ignore that laziness – for now.

He ignored it, but didn't forget it.

He would not allow _any_ such conversation between those two. As soon as he figured out _how_ , he would make sure of it, a problem for later, but for now...

 _Leave_ , he thought to the daytimers, instead. _If you're going to waste my money, do it quickly, and go home._

He knew that they – the two hunters he'd hired – were waiting for sundown to bring her in, undercover between shifts, because he didn't want anyone – who _mattered_ , anyway – to know what was being delivered, at all.

He was glad for their discretion, but found the wait _agonising_.

If he'd known what was to come, he would have yearned to wait another day, week, month - year, decade, _century_...

But soon, the bay cleared out, and a huge truck backed in, one he recognised at once.

He was out of the door and running, even before the engine of that truck turned off.

That was the single moment that everything changed, and with no turning back.

And that's when this story truly begins.


	3. Earn Your Keep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't kidding when I said I was going to treat this as a serious story, instead of a parody. I'm going all in. This is rated and tagged for a reason, pancakes :)
> 
> But no: no cats will be harmed in this story, let alone eaten.

For the past fifteen years, Alphys had always reached up and silenced her clock radio, but she'd never seen her hand perform the action.

It was the first part of her that woke up, the first part to move, to act, to react. The sound, on this morning, was the exact same tone it had from the second she'd set it up: short, grating bursts of sound, like claws over metal.

But it woke her up. And like she did every cold night, she turned the radio on, and spent the next fifteen minutes listening to it, as she slowly woke up. This only happened during cold weather, her lizard origins bubbling up when she never wanted them to, but, alas.

“—recent cold fronts will be lingering for another few days, as the surface has also suffered a cold spell.”

In the summer, the nights were shorter. She could go in to black midnight, but be greeted by cheery pink dawn, or orange-gold sunrise, and she would be at peace.

“Prepare for raindrops at sunset, and be prepared for flash flooding.”

Alphys sighed, shivering, already feeling cold and damp. She was glad she lived in Hotland, glad she never had to suffer from too many variations of weather. She knew that the Underground's version of weather made the humans mock them, and they always did it without irony, too.

“I do wonder if we'll be seeing increased human activity Underground, and less above, considering the chances of flooding.”

Or maybe they didn't, and she'd grown so used to the hatred that everything could be construed as ironic, in a miserable way? Her life was so small, so boxed up and easily disposed, that it was easy to throw a pity-party for herself, especially on cold, wet days.

“Well, in any case, everyone is reminded to stay out of Waterfall and its borders, save already--,”

Alphys tuned it out. She knew it, already: Waterfall had become dangerous, a shared dumping ground that had extremely toxic run-off, and no one – not even monsters – was allowed to go beyond the borders, ones marked with waters, tested weekly by her boss.

_Everyone's boss..._

She sighed, her mind lingering on that for a moment, but shook it away, too. She listened, again, and found herself interested, for a change.

“—recent news that tensions are growing are not exaggerated... as much. I'd be a fool to pretend there is no gaff on some news days.”

There was soft laughter, and Alphys was surprised; it was real. Most people were too nervous to even _talk_ about it, let alone _joke_ about it.

To Alphys, it felt like another red flag, one in front of a long line that spelt out the end to monsters...

“But hopefully, with increased sharing and discussion, we'll get back to how we should be. It's long overdue.”

That was enough.

Alphys rolled her eyes and turned it off.

Things were _never_ going to be the way they should have been. Not with the King and Queen dethroned, and their children forced to become pseudo-leaders in their stead.

Asriel and Chara tried, with the power they had, but it was no secret that, in the kindest terms, they were still learning. They weren't as young as they'd been from the start, but were treated as such by the humans, and it tended to make discussion... tense.

And though Alphys was one of a many precious few who knew more about _that_ than most, with it, she also knew how unlikely peace was going to stick around much longer.

* * *

Chara and Asriel were supposed to be in charge, if not as monarchs, then as prime ministers, at least. And in all truth, at the start, monsters agreed with it, and followed them. How could they not? Chara was a human, but had been raised with and by monsters, barely ever going to the surface. They were seen as a monster, too.

Asriel was born ten years after segregation - and the Dreemurrs' downfall - and had found Chara when he was ten, in the Ruins of Home, and brought them home. Chara either forgot or wanted to forget their true birthday and age, so once they were formally adopted, Asriel gave them his birthday for their birth certificate, making it official: they were twins, from now on.

Though it was true that the Underground did call the former King's Royal Scientist "Leader", even he knew that they mostly looked to the Dreemurrs, still, for advice or help.

It was why he'd given them the work he had, instead of having them killed: to degrade them, make them look like fools, powerless in their new roles beneath one they'd once seen as a friend. The second the bill passed, he ceased being their friend, and took them for all they had.

When, ten years later, despite it all, they had Asriel, things got a little tense, as to a paranoid, power-hungry Leader, this was an open act of aggression - a living threat - against him.

But when nothing happened, he figured he had broken them, and having a child was them simply accepting their new, bottom-feeder lives.

When Chara appeared, again, their Leader grew nervous, but when they showed hatred for their own race, and a desperation never to return there, and he saw how busy and distracted it made his former monarchs, he again let it go.

The monsters did not. They loved the two, and helped them grow up to be intelligent, strong, and hard-working. When the two were nineteen, there was a petition raised to allow both some kind of power, as it was clear that their Leader was letting a lot go ignored while he worked. 

It was only when he realised that he truly could not be in all places at once, that he had to concede to the people's concerns and rises of rebellion

He thought he'd been clever, to set up Chara and Asriel as "Prime Ministers to the Leader of the Monster people". He gambled on their youth, and figured the title was enough to keep them, and the people, content, allowing them to pretend that their words had meaning to him. 

They didn't. He ignored all and everything they did, simply rewriting or correcting what they'd hoped to change back into what could never be changed. 

After a year, the Underground was exactly that it had been, before, Prime Ministers or not.

* * *

  _Because we all know who holds the true power,_ Alphys thought sadly. All she had to do was remember who she worked for, and she knew.

 _Doctor Wing Din Gaster_...

And she knew she owed him a lot, as he was the only employer that would hire her, back when she was barely eighteen, and wandering around voiceless and scared, barely able to communicate. During those times, she learnt _some_ sign language on her own, and by the time her future boss and current Leader had sent her a letter, inviting her in for an interview, she had other rudimentary ways of communicating, if sign language was unknown: pencil and notepad was her preferred method.

Except, he did know it, fluently.

Like he knew her.

* * *

He'd hired her after she'd asked him, writing the question down as well as the number, when she could expect him to call her.

Granted, now she shared the phone line, the only way she could afford it, and only with one other person, an occasional tenant, and it was never a problem; she only had to pay when she used it, now. 

But before, after her mother died and she was alone, she'd had to scramble to keep that phone line set up, about to lose it thanks to its previous owner's death. She'd written to the phone company about her plight, and they'd given her an extra month's grace on the bill. She needed that phone line, she figured, and she needed the money to keep it working, so she needed to be working, too.

She hadn't considered how silly it was to have a phone at all, now, let alone leave her number at all, until he mentioned it; it was the first informal thing he'd said to her, one mute to another.

 _'If I_ did _call, how could you use it? You cannot speak.'_

It was traced calmly between them, but with such painful truth, and with it, she realised she'd ruined her only chance at this job, like she was too _stupid_ to hire. Instantly humiliated, she got up to leave, her face almost white and her hands signing apologies she never even read.

But he still hired her.

She remembered, when she saw the words _'Wait – I still want to hire you,'_ float in front of her, that she stopped, blocked by them, and looked back at him closely, almost afraid of him, for a moment, before she sat back down, uncertain. 

He'd been tall, and thin, his clothes made for a body consisting only of thick, wide lines, as if drawn a line at a time, the lines breaking here and there to space out places for limbs, hands that were long, and when they spoke, his fingers seemed possessed; they moved so _perfectly_.

_Like someone drew him, recently, and he was still trying to hide the pencil lines, at least until someone finally fixed them..._

There was a kind of intentional perfection to all that he did, a specific set of mannerisms he'd chosen to live by, and even though it had seemed unwilling, still he accustomed himself accordingly, and made sure that his workers did, too. 

 _'You don't need to know how to_ talk _,' he told her. 'You just need to_ listen _, and follow instructions.'_

She'd stared at him for way too long, before she desperately swallowed her tears and nodded quickly, just in case he changed his mind before she could accept.

She was grateful, but he was blunt.

_'I'm doing you a favour, and we both know it. Don't blow it.'_

She agreed.

It was easy to.

She knew her life was built on nothing, and she now existed for no reason.

Therefore, accepting a job anyone else would turn their snouts up at was easy for her, to not only accept, but to  _want_ , that kind of job. She knew where she belonged.

Other people's snobbery meant there was always work for her to do, one way or another. She survived on the dredges of what normal people threw away without thought, and had accepted it, long before her hire.

That was her life, now.

* * *

Thus far, Alphys had yet to ruin anything, and it was at least fourteen, maybe fifteen years later. 

She rarely saw him, after that, and when she did, it was in passing, and she meekly shied away, too nervous to wave at him, let alone glance at him.

_Despite wanting to see if he managed to erase the pencil from himself, yet..._

He never asked for her, again, and anything else related to her job was left to her supervisors. His eyes sometimes fell on her, but when they did, she knew they saw nothing – no one.

One time, she'd hesitated, eyeing him as much as possible, because something about him had seemed almost... _familiar_. She wasn't able to stay long enough to figure it out, but decided it was probably just from seeing him on TV.

But her supervisor, from the first day, _had_ seen her, something Alphys had thought was impossible.

* * *

“Miss Alphys?”

Inwardly, Alphys's heart died, whenever she heard that first word. She'd had such high expectations in herself, despite her ruin, and had hoped she could still follow her dreams, go to college, then university, proving that she _was_ smart, just quiet, and _deserved_ to be called “Doctor” Alphys; she just needed the opportunity, the time, the _money_...

Her thoughts of self-pity suddenly burst into smoke and was waved away when her supervisor found her, hunched over with a punch-card in her hand but having no clue what to do with it, despite watching everyone else.

“Goodness.”

Alphys heard that, too, trying to find the source, but it was only when the crowd parted for her did Alphys truly see her.

And when she did, the blood drained from her face, her eyes widening. Quickly, she looked at the people in front of and behind her, and felt herself break into a cold sweat, shaking. Nobody else seemed to notice or care, either. She looked back, but there was no question of who it was that toward her.

It was the deposed Queen, Toriel Dreemurr.

 _Only Boss Monsters have last names,_ her brain suddenly offered her, its circuits shorting out with her shock. It was panicking, like she was, and tried to distract her away from the cause.

It failed, of course.

Toriel looked strange in worker’s clothes, with no diadem upon her head and glasses placed upon her nose, held in place by both a lanyard around her neck. Upon closer look, Alphys saw that Toriel's glasses had arms, or legs, made of sturdy, lightweight metal wires twisted together, but these wires could bend. She'd wrapped them them around her long ears, further holding them in place.

It was a weird thing for Alphys's brain to fix upon, least of all on her first day, bu there it was.

She was barely eighteen. She'd barely been on her own for three months, and already after _another_ month spent in the hospital, waiting for the staff to give up on her vocal loss and make her leave.

When they did, she _was_ freed, but found a world no longer meant for her. This was a world for people who could speak, as not all people could read. She was so dismayed that she wished to go back, scared and confused and alone...

_So alone..._

Alphys _was_ young. And starting a new life with a staggeringly new disadvantage: a _permanent_  life-altering disability, with absolutely no one else to help her speak. She needed to trust _someone_ here at work _,_  otherwise she would never survive it.

Even if she was double-crossed, that was just how all people – human _and_ monster, she knew – treated her trust in them. She knew it was because something was wrong with her, but she couldn't fix it. She didn't know what it was, and was never told.

Now, Alphys stood like a statue, as with Toriel’s attention upon her, she was suddenly very, _very_ visible, and she hated it. She felt herself redden, trying to look for an exit – she didn't care, a job was _not_ worth _this_ – but before she could scarper, Toriel had reached her, and took hold of her arm to stop her.

Alphys flinched, closing her eyes and looking away, and Toriel's hand let go.

It startled Alphys. She opened her eyes, turning her head back, and though she heard and saw others laughing cruelly at her, this woman - this _queen_ \- before her didn't, not even twitching a smile toward their insults.

Toriel looked at Alphys with concern, and worry.

_Care._

_But she doesn't know anything about me_ , _so why would she care about me?_ Alphys thought, swallowing hard and still trying to find a way out, especially now that she was free...

Not for long: Alphys then felt her hand being taken hold of, and she winced. But when it wasn't slapped, like she'd grown up to always expect, she looked up, bemused.

 _Queen Toriel is so much taller than me,_ her brain tried again, pitifully, as the aforementioned Queen seemed to tower over her in those first moments, while she waited to be stepped on.

But instead, Toriel led her away from the busiest part of the room, and into the back, where it was, for now, quiet and secluded. Alphys was shaking so hard that she'd dropped her punch-card, twice, and when Toriel sat her down on the closest bench, she also took the card from the floor, tucking it into her apron's front pocket – with her own.

_Oh, I forgot, I need one of those, too..._

At least _that_ thought had been useful...

“You _are_ Alphys, yes?”

Alphys turned to Toriel, who knelt in front of her, like an aunt would, especially with how she looked at Alphys, with pity and tenderness. She seemed to know what was wrong with Alphys, already, but was giving her time to calm down, so that when she _was_ ready, she could explain it.

As Alphys tried to slow her heart, Toriel spoke, and they were words she never forgot.

“I can tell that you've been hurt, deeply, and the wounds are invisible to anyone else – who doesn't already know what they look like.”

Alphys bit her lip. She knew people had it so much worse than her, and knew how lucky she was to have a job, and money, and a home.

She'd only made it this far with gold she found in a small felt bag, labelled “Just In Case” that she'd found in the Lab. It was the first thing she'd found in the place that had helped her survive; the fact that she was here, now, proved it.

She didn't know where any of it came from: just that the writing was her mother's, and her mother certainly didn't need it, anymore.

That gold had lasted her those few months, but at least she'd had it. Not many others, she knew, could say that. And once it was spent, she still had the second note she'd found (in a different hand, though), and it had led her here.

“I know you're doubting that,” Toriel admitted.

Alphys blushed again, shaking her head quickly. She'd been trying to find a way to talk to her, let alone get _used_ to her (she had _so many questions_ ), but she didn't want a bad first impression, either.

She _didn't_ doubt Toriel's words, because she knew how to read newspapers and listen to radios, and knew that Toriel's children were just starting into their twenties, burdened with problems of their own.

* * *

Ebott was a bored little city, up and down, and had little to talk about, save the worrying economy between monsters and humans, and the humans trying to push monsters into a corner while using them for humiliating, debasing, and underpaid menial jobs. 

All while doing their best to drive all of the monsters beneath Ebott - and "off of their land". The luckiest worked "with" (for) humans, on the surface, and even then, it was still... _bad_.

Things were so tense that a few words could set off a war, and nobody wanted that.

 _Well, almost nobody,_ her brain suddenly smacked her with. _Clearly, the Leader himself not only wants war, but almost seems to_ need _it..._

Therefore, newspapers distracted their peoples, reporting on _personal_ matters - mostly about monsters, to make those monsters look like fools – and prove the humans' stereotypes right.

But both monsters  _and_  humans reported gossip, and a  _lot_  was unfairly said about Chara Dreemurr, based on their perceived mental state, especially now, as a ruler. It was probably the only thing they agreed about, and that was what made it the saddest of all.

It really did seem like Ebott's humans loathed their monster neighbours, and it was _awful_ , the excuses flimsy and pathetic racism.

Monsters existed all around the world, but Alphys felt like those places were too far away and too few between to care about, and didn't know how they fared with their humans.

Alphys had no idea that Ebott was the last known city to keep their monsters integrated. They were such an isolated place, situated in the direct path of lava, should the “mountain” of Ebott erupt, and paid little attention to what was beyond their little chunk of Earth.

Which was of course part of why she'd returned to the Lab, at all, to monitor and maintain that lava and protect both sides of the city.

But nobody outside of Ebott tried to venture there, much, because of the volcano, so maybe it wasn't _needed_...

* * *

"Alphys?”

She jumped, her heart skipping and her eyes widening, and she made a soft, confused sound, putting a hand to her head. She forgot how easy it was to fall into her own mind, to try and pick up the pieces, to make sense of it all, while ignoring all else around her...

“You have no idea what you're doing, do you?” Toriel wondered.

Her voice was so gentle and so kind that Alphys actually felt herself yearning to cry, and upon this woman's shoulder – _the former Queen_ – someone she'd just met and already owed so many favours to.

And yet, when she looked closer at Toriel, she saw that her concern and care for Alphys was _real_.

She signed, clumsily, still learning: _'_ Alone. Can't speak. Need money. Otherwise, useless.'

She expect Toriel to not understand, like she expected of everyone. She wished she'd remembered to bring a small pad of paper and a pencil, to speak that way, but she'd been so nervous that she'd forgotten both, as well as her hat and gloves. (She froze, even on the way in, the rain forcing the cold beneath her skin, chilling her inside out...)

But then, she felt Toriel stand up, pull a spare stool over, and sat down in front of Alphys, her red eyes focused and her kind, age-creased face carefully blank.

And when she was certain Alphys had her attention, she signed back.

'Are you deaf? You seem to read lips very well if so.'

Alphys's eyes filled with tears, understanding what Toriel was doing the second she raised her hands in front of herself. She felt silly, because of _course_ the Queen would know it; it was her job, and was fluent in over ten languages (mostly human; they had a lot).

The fact that the Queen had to utilise these tools in such a dreary setting also made Alphys cry, because she didn't understand why Toriel was here, let alone why she was being so kind to Alphys.

Such kindness didn't belong in such a bleak place.

Toriel had no ulterior motives. She was a Queen. She would always be a Queen, even if her sceptre was a toilet brush and her globe of the world a bowl of dirty soap-water.

Toriel loved her people, no matter what.

Alphys, however, no longer saw herself as a “person”, anymore, let alone one good enough to have Toriel as her Queen, a Queen _concerned_ for her...

Not anymore.

Not after all that she'd just been put through...

'Bad at this,' Alphys signed, her fingers shaking from the force behind her tears. 'Still learning. Can't speak, can hear.'

She tried to think of the right signs, but instead spelt it out: 'I am a bad, f-a-i-l-e-d e-x-p-e-r-i-m-e-n-t.'

Toriel looked sadly at her, shaking her head. “No, dear, never think that way about yourself. This is a menial job, I know, but the work is honest and easy, and with a lot of messes, your days will fly by, and you'll be able to find better work once you've been here a year or two.”

Alphys snorted, closing her eyes and replying, 'This is the only place I can work. I have nothing, no one. I lost everything on my eighteenth birthday.'

Toriel was stunned. She looked closely at Alphys, and by then, Alphys had covered her face with her hands and wept, certain she'd lost the job over _this_ , now, too.

Toriel touched Alphys's knee, to get her attention, and when Alphys looked up, she moved it away, even before Alphys could accept it.

For a moment, Alphys felt... forlorn, her knee cold, now, unaware of how _starved_ she was for physical affection: touch that _soothed_ , not scarred...

“Alphys,” Toriel said, smiling faintly. “I can tell how good you are. I see that everything is horrible and scary for you, right now, and maybe you can tell me why, someday. But here, as a janitor, you are invisible. It sounds depressing, but trust me when I say it: it has its perks, and it's better than nothing.”

Alphys gazed at her, realising for the first time how oddly alike they were, and how strange that was.

Toriel had lost almost everything when the humans dissolved the monarchies; more, still, when her children stood up to take her and Asgore's place. So long as Chara and Asriel were accepted as representatives for the monsters, things would be okay.

That was the plan. But one mistake could cost them _everything_ , and Alphys knew, from gossip, that Toriel feared daily that something would happen to her children, and she would lose _them_ , too.

Toriel clearly worked here as a way to stay hidden, as Deltarune had strict policies on non-disclosure, the things done here unknown to anyone else looking in. To its employees, Deltarune was a research facility, one that experimented and hypothethised how to make their lives better.

All without actually doing much else toward that goal.

The goal was fake.

Gaster's seven hangars of research _looked_ grand and opulent, and in their heyday, they were necessary.

The truth was painful: that Deltarune's importance and usefulness remained as unchanged as it was from the start of segregation, despite knowing that everyone was working within it and at their best.

By now, everyone knew that Deltarune was simply Gaster's castle, and had ceased being necessary the moment he'd become Leader. Nothing proceeded without his approval, and since nothing ever met that approval, no one bothered to try, anymore. All did the bare minimum to keep their jobs, and Gaster was absolutely fine with that. 

Only the staff knew this truth, one that included Toriel's presence, and who she really was.

While many still saw and treated her as Queen, more saw her as “Tori, their spitfire supervisor”. She cared. She watched. When needed, she fought for them, and often won.

Above all, she never let anyone fall behind. Deltarune might be Gaster's castle, but Toriel was the head of its staff. One could argue that she did more work for the people in one week, than Gaster ever had in one decade.

Toriel cared. And no matter how insignificant or small a person was, she still cared.

Alphys would discover this, personally, over the course of a week.

Now, Toriel kept smiling at her, even as she wept and felt like a fool. “I know it's scary, but you now have me. I'll protect you from those fears. I won't let anyone take advantage of you.”

Alphys nodded, agreeing to this, though secretly, she gave Toriel two weeks after training her to abandon her, and move on, like everyone else.

But she did not.

Not even once.

* * *

Alphys looked forward to seeing Toriel, today, like always, but especially because she _had_ to know more than the rest of them about what was going on.

Last week, the whole place had been in a flurry, groups of scientists moving around, sending her and her coworkers into room after room, cleaning them over and over, and yet again mere hours later.

It was as if, suddenly, they _all_ had work to do, and had no way of realising it until they were already behind.

Something was happening, and for the first time, F-1 looked almost like it had in its youth. 

It had exhausted Alphys, but she never found out what the kerfuffle was all about, because it was also a Friday (well, Friday night, into Saturday's dawn), and she had weekends off.

Despite her ignorance, she was still interested, a feeling she'd felt little of within this small life.

Something was going on in Deltarune, something important and big, and she was intensely curious about it. Normally, she couldn't of cared less about the goings-on at work, too eager to remain invisible.

This, however, had her attention, had held it all weekend.

And now that Monday night was here, she _needed_ to know, as soon as possible. 

But first – she had to get out of bed.

Alphys sighed, rubbing her eyes for a moment, then got to her feet, wrapped her blanket around her shoulders, and shuffled around, the day begun.

She was unaware that those slow, lazy steps were the very first steps of an entirely new life, one that had just started without her even knowing it.

But not for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whenever Gaster uses his magic to write letters, I'm going to keep it italicised, to make it differ from the rest. Make it easier.


	4. Welcome Back

When she awoke, she only knew one thing.

She was _furious_.

She knew she was definitely mad at _him_ , for being so damned bull-headed about bringing her back, simply because he refused to own up to any of his mistakes...

She was extremely frustrated with the people in _his_ employ, who didn't know who she was, save that she was a lost “Asset”, and they were simply returning her home…

But most of all, she was irate with _herself_.

She was being careless. She let herself be seen. And she _had_ been seen – by the wrong people.

She'd been a fool.

She'd been flawless in her trickery for more than a decade, always making sure to remain just out of his reach, to torment him, the best kind of game for a hurt and betrayed monster.

But with this recent, increased fervour, she'd grown arrogant, too arrogant, and when she slipped just a step too close, he - well, his _goons_ \- had captured her.

He had her treated her like an animal, this time, and not like a monster, like she knew he knew she was.

She knew why he did it, and thought it pathetic and petty.

He knew better than to expect an obedient test subject, and thus treated her in kind, before she had a chance to disobey, yet.

 _Disobey_...

He'd never allowed her to have input in her own experimentation and care, and soon didn't even allow care.

She'd trusted him, unable to do anything else, and he'd abused that trust – then mocked her for being stupid enough to trust her at all.

When she’d overheard what had happened – something involving a sample from her, and someone's death, nothing more – she was hurt, and angry, and demanded answers from him the next time he visited F-1.

She got none, and she began to rebel.

Anytime she'd speak, he pretended she was deaf. Anytime she managed to reach her magic, to throw it at him, he simply drugged her, until she passed out.

He was no longer interested in putting on airs with her, if she was going to rebel, and had clearly decided to treat her like vermin, because she knew too much.

She shuddered, even know, when she remembered the horror of that first time he'd drugged her. He'd looked almost _insane_ , his seemingly emptied eyes burned and scorched her own.

She'd been certain that, if she woke up at all, her body would be destroyed by him – in every single way...

But luckily, while torture was definitely his thing, rape was not. Even when several of the bootlicks he'd hired to drag her in – both times – offered to do it for him, he refused, and had surprised her when he'd made it clear that if anyone touched her, in any way, he would cut their hands off.

Those closest to him damn well knew he meant it literally, and she was left unmolested – mostly; he still experimented on her when she was knocked out, and she always woke up compromised, bewildered and dazed from sedatives…

Even now, as she was slowly clawing her way out of the horrifically familiar feeling of waking after being drugged, she had no clue what was going on. She was tied up, in a kind of bulky box, and when she tried to stay calm, she forced herself to figure out how she was being transported – and if she could still manage an escape.

How much time had passed between when they'd found her, and now? It had been midday when she'd been captured; it must have been night by now, judging by how dry she felt.

_If I’m here, I’m not there, yet, and he can't chain me down._

She remembered later that the box stage meant that she was close, but not there, yet. She kept herself as still as possible, her body weak with thirst and sedative, and she closed her eyes, focusing on the way the box moved, if pulled, or pushed, or...

 _Carried… in a_ litter _?!_

It was absurd, but it was absolutely what it was: she was being carried in a box with handlebars, held up by at least two people, usually reserved for the rich and lazy. The uneven jarring had awakened her.

She almost laughed.

He had her.

In doing that – involving others in her transport – he knew she wouldn't try anything, lest she risk hurting innocents. He clearly remembered her escape, and had anticipated her every move. 

Though she personally didn't think anyone so far up his arse was worth _that_ much in terms of life – they cared not for hers, so why should she care for theirs? – she was not going to attack them, or risk killing them.

She was who she was. She would never raise her hand against innocents, and he knew that, now.

And he also knew that it took a _lot_ to get her to hate someone enough to attack them, let alone try to kill them.

She _wanted_ to kill him.

She knew that the second she saw him, even if it was her last act, she would use every shred of magic within her, and take him down with her.

She wanted his blood to stain her hands. She wanted to make him suffer what she'd suffered, and she'd been barely a teenager, being punished for wanting to be treated like a person, to help a cause, to want more from her own future...

 _I escaped before, and I can do it, again,_ she knew, but the words felt artificial, fake bravado to keep herself calm.

In all truth, she was _terrified_ , and she didn't want to do this, again.

She didn't deserve to be tortured like she'd been.

No one did.

She shivered, hugging herself tighter. She managed to loop her arms around her folded-up legs, and she hugged them to her front, burying her face into her knees.

She remembered that agony.

She especially loathed the way he'd always made her cry, even when she was still obedient. He belittled her, somehow, or made her feel stupid, or embarrassed her.

She knew it now to be his attempts at breaking her, hoping to brainwash her so hard that she would never misbehave again.

Except he'd simply made her _angrier_ , his bile sinking beneath her skin and making her blood boil.

 _He'd_ hated _her_ , back then; he couldn't figure her out, because she wouldn't let him.

She'd escaped before he could.

Since then, he'd sent people after her, at _least_ four times a year.

There were never any set times, or set days; it was all based on his personal whims, and never set a routine.

The least amount of times a year was four. The most, before now, had been twenty-six.

They'd been on _her_ turf, this time, and never let them catch her.

_Til now._

She still knew why he wanted her back, and it made her feel better, just a little, even as she still shivered from fear.

 _If he's_ this _desperate to have me back, something's wrong, and he's going back and starting over, to see if he missed anything else._

_He's got nothing left, so he's going back over the ones he failed, starting with me._

And now, he had her.

She was so angry, and she cried, silently, _infuriated_ that the bastard was already making her cry, and she hadn't even seen him, yet.

He was going to use her, again, to hurt others, and it made her sick.

She held her head in her hands, her fingers tangling within her knotted hair, nails to her scalp. She tried to slow her breathing, but she couldn't help it.

She knew she was a grown woman, but being in this box had thrown her back in time, and she was fifteen, again...

Suddenly, everything stopped, and she raised her head, just as she felt her carriers set her down. It jarred her a little, but she used it to make herself angrier, adrenaline igniting her blood and stirring her magic.

She was here.

Which meant _he_ was here.

Which meant it was time to die, and take him down with her.

She rolled onto her front, pulling her arms forward and propping herself up onto her elbows, stretching her legs a little to push herself to her knees. It felt better, and she sat back, her hands in her lap, her eyes open and blazing.

She could feel the grin on her face, and knew it was not a pretty sight.

Which was the point.

There were sounds of screws being loosened, then smaller planks were slid out from their slots. The sides gave way, and the second the first wall went down, she flinched, the bight light hurting her eyes, and she found herself backing up, instead.

She waited as her eyes adjusted, poised and waiting in case they tried to attack her before she could see. But when all she saw were legs brightly lit in the thick dark of night, she wondered why they _didn't_ attack.

She listened, and heard chatter, but it was frustratingly soft. There were even long pauses, when no one said a word, but some left out of nowhere, or a door closed when nothing was said about it.

 _Aloud_.

She waited, adrenaline making her tremble, her breaths harsh and dry.

She heard it, then, the sound that haunted her nightmares...

Long, slow clicks, paced out evenly, in no hurry, and with no indication of the kind of person making those clicks.

But she knew who it was, and her rage burst to life, after a moment that had her paralysed with meek fear. Before those clicks came close enough to be seen, she snarled, pushing herself forward and to her feet, her hands out. They sparked, but before she could summon anything, she fell.

She'd forgotten she was restrained, and she stumbled to the dusty, concrete floor, uttering a soft, surprised gasp when it brought her pain. She was stunned for a moment, but when she heard the sound again, she rolled onto her back and pushed herself back up onto her knees, her teeth bared and her eyes bright and crazed.

She saw him, now. He was lit up quite well from the fluorescent lights above them, even with one that flickered. She lunged, this time using her legs to push her into a jump, her hands out, hoping to claw his eyes out.

If she could not kill him with magic, she would still kill him, one way or another.

But even as her hands fell upon the front of his damned suit, her broken nails clawing uselessly at the crisp fabric, he barely blinked.

She snarled, again, and he simply watched.

 _'Welcome back, Undyne,'_ he signed, the extra hands behind him shaping the symbols into words she understood – and cut her to the quick.

Before she could even say his name, she felt something strike her, even as she stumbled and tried to get away from him, forgetting again in her panic that she was tied up...

It was a solid pain, one that had lanced into her head from her left eye. She almost saw it, saw the idea of it, as a long, gunmetal-grey rod, or a stick made of metal and buttons, held loosely in his hand.

Then, from it, a burst of raw, excruciating pain, like nothing she'd ever felt before, even back then. She screamed, feeling him press it _into_ her eye, and when she fell to her knees, her bound hands trying to claw his off, he smiled – and the pain _increased_ , a stunning discovery that she'd never wanted to make...

She felt something hot slide down her left cheek, and she lost her voice.

Everything was pain, now, and she still tried to fight it, even as she felt herself going under, barely remembering her own name...

She choked, and her right eye rolled up and closed, the other now nothing but useless, gooey sludge. Her hands dropped, and she collapsed within seconds, defeated before she could even fight.

* * *

Gaster smiled, shaking the weapon free of blood and gristle, his eyes on his returned Asset.

'Howdy-Do, indeed,' he signed to himself, before laughing, amused by his own wit.

Then, he hid the rod – a metal tube, one that, at the press of a button, generated actual electricity, at levels that seemed almost excessive – back beneath his pantsleg, went back to the doorway leading in, and opened it.

_'Put her in F-1. Have sans look at her eye, do not take any excuse from him, and reassign those two janitors to my office, until the place is set into order, and Undyne is back where she belongs.'_

They agreed, and he watched them, smiling faintly.

Power was wonderful. Taking it away, from the already-powerless, was delicious.


	5. Last Routine (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW: Private masturbation (shower-based)

Alphys slowly walked over the old linoleum floor, feeling it peeling beneath her feet, and she reminded herself for the seventy-sixth time that she needed to get them repaired. They were cold, but at least not as cold as cement or concrete would have been.

Like every morning before this one, Alphys went through a morning routine, her steps making the floor creak. She grabbed her housecoat from the hook over the bed, yawning, then took hold of the edge of the bed. She pushed down on it with all of her might, then jerked away so that it bounced back high enough to sink back into the space built for it into the wall.

Like always, it did, and it was always her first smile of the day. She liked to pretend she was some kind of strong-armed super-monster, who could hold massive amounts of bricks while sleeping in an iron maiden, or _something_... something _badass_...

She made it a game, every morning, to find the most absurd circumstance in the world, in order to keep that smile.

That morning's would be the last one she would ever make.

She didn't know it, but she didn't need to.

Not yet.

She then tugged the light on, and the florescents above her flickered almost violently, before settling down and humming to life, just as she slipped her glasses on.

She still lived in the place she'd grown up in: the small apartment at the top of the surveillance panel, within what was once known as Hotland's Laboratory, now only called the Lab (or the Retriever, depending on her daily mood).

This place had always been her home.

* * *

When she'd managed to find her way back, just discharged from the hospital, Alphys was feverish, her hands scrabbling at the door with panic for a moment, before she remembered her set of keys. She was shocked that they still worked, and she slipped in, closing the door behind her and locking it.

The moment she'd set her foot in, even before the door closed, she knew.

She knew it was empty.

Before she even found the lightswitch, she knew her mother was gone - _long_ gone.

She stood there for a moment, surprised by how much that hurt her, despite already, deep down, knowing it would be so from the start. Her eyes filled with tears, and she hugged herself, her sides still tender but almost fully healed. Her breaths hitched and her sobs echoed within the empty building, her sadness bouncing from wall to wall.

Alphys then went to the surveillance panel, to turn it back on and check the cameras, and instead found a note.

Now _that_ , she hadn't expected, and for a moment, she debated throwing it away before reading it, terrified of what cruelty remained within that envelope.

But she was who she was, and she took it, despite shaking so hard that she had to sit down in the chair. It squeaked, and rolled her back for a moment, but when she'd dug her heels in – like always – it stopped, and she sat there and just... _breathed_...

It didn't help. It was no use. The letter was too distracting, and she _had_ to know what it said.

She sat up and opened it, already in tears, small, wispy whimpers escaping her. She tore the envelope open, her heart racing so fast that she felt dizzy.

There was a paper within it, but it had been strange, and made absolutely no sense.

 _Yet_.

Written in a style unknown to Alphys, the words swam upon the page like water, and she realised that she was reading, but not taking anything in. She was so tired, so hurt and lonely...

Really, she just wanted to sleep, and pretend this was a dream, just for a little bit longer...

Instead, she shook herself awake, and read the words.

_“If you need a job, apply to Deltarune. They will hire you on the spot.”_

Below it was a ten-digit phone number.

She began to weep, again, frustrated, and pushed the letter aside, wondering if she was being mocked.

She later replaced it into the envelope, and tucked it into the top drawer of the panel's desk.

The next day, she took it back out, and faxed her resume to that number. If it wasn't a fax line, then she wouldn't get the job by default. 

But she had to try, so she did.

Three days later, she had a job.

* * *

_Fifteen years later, and still, I remain._

She hadn't changed the place much when she moved back in and made it her own, deciding to – when she could – use the surveillance panel to help anyone out, in case of crime, especially from humans.

Their segregation actually meant that the humans could do anything they wanted, nearly _everything_ , while on monster ground - but monsters could barely walk down a human street before being harassed and carded.

But cameras were impartial, the perfect proof. With them, she could record that proof, and make sure her fellow monsters were treated justly.

She remembered considering keeping at it, if she never found a real, better job. She would be poor, but at the same time, maybe she could save lives, make _that_ her purpose...

Eventually, she'd reinforced the place, made sure she could never be taken out of it without her say, and she knew she never wanted to leave it, again.

 _Despite_ the memories...

With her bed up, there was now room to open the drawers in the wall cabinet beneath it, where she kept most of the dinnerware and cutlery. There was a panel she could lower between her bedroom and the main area, but since she rarely had visitors, she barely used it, using curtains, instead. Her "bedroom" had its own exit, thanks to the escalator (down).

Between her bed and them, she'd set up an immense bookshelf, and she filled it with books that she... _acquired_... in _places_... and treasured them like actual jewels. Near it, against the wall, sat a makeshift remnant of what was once a chair, redone and rebuilt into something even better: still a chair, but set lower to the floor (it had been too tall for her). She then ripped out the rest, stuffed it full of old clothes or rags she never used (and kept adding to), using what she could salvage from the upholstery to sew it back up - leaving a small, buttoned flap, to keep adding to it. She'd even washed it and patched it up before replacing it.

It was her favourite place to sit, for a long time. Now, it was second, only to one...

Outside of them was a small kitchen, nestled in the furthest corner of the room, just in front of the second escalator (up). Between that was a small, rectangular table with two wooden chairs, and a fridge. All around the entire room, there were overhead cupboards that were mostly filled with extra books (ones she liked but knew she wouldn't re-read them as much), or random items that had no other home.

All of this made the place sound rather cluttered, and that was true; if more than one person tried to navigate it. 

Since company was something that also rarely happened to her, it was never a bother, and she usually forgot, used to its controlled chaos and enjoying it.

Despite some shabbiness, it was good enough for her to feel most comfortable within it, and she spent most of her social time on the main floor, letting anyone else upstairs very rarely.

The downstairs had changed; she'd updated the security panel (on her days off, when she was still feeling anxious and scared about her losses), with trash that she'd found... in _other_  places... that she knew came from the humans - more specifically, their waste. She collected a lot over the years, and used most of it for one project - one that took up half of the main floor. There was a large worktable, currently a mess of paperwork and blueprints, as work upon those prints had been done, but she was now trying to find improvements.

She'd needed a place to store the scraps, thinking of using the True Lab, but ended up storing them around the other end of the Lab, hidden in shadow. She wasn't breaking any rules, but it could be seen as questionable hoarding.

What choice did she have? She never found a way into the True Lab; it was _completely_ sealed off, and while she was angry that she was denied what should have been her right by blood, she knew it wasn't worth fighting over. She tried to do it herself a few times, with several of the doors, but when each failed, she left it alone.

She found greater use in what remained: its network of tunnels, as it was how she'd learnt a great deal more about the Underground. All of the tunnels that finished with the True Lab doorways were sealed off, but doing so _hadn't_ messed up the rest of the tunnels, most branching off of each other instead of the Lab. The doorways leading back out and around the Underground still worked.

After she was hired, she spent lunch in two places: she ate in one place, too shy and anxious to eat in front of anyone else - save _one_ exception - then returned, and spent the remaining time with Toriel - _mostly_... later, when she and Metta had become friends,  it became a way of sneaking between... _places_... to see each other.

* * *

Her own yawn woke her from her reverie, and she shook her head, before grabbing her iron pot and filling it with water, then turning on the electricity to heat it up.This was one of the first places to have it Underground, a fact that, when she'd said proudly during school, got her beat up.

She sighed, pushing that thought away, before setting the pot on the stove to boil – slowly. She dropped three handfuls of fresh – but dead – snails into the water, as usual.

She set the timer to fifteen minutes and brought it with her when she padded downstairs to the bathroom.

 _That_ tunnel had been left mostly intact, and now shared space with a real bathroom - only she was the only one that had its codes.

It was small, but it was all she meeded, and she set the timer on the counter, undressing and stepping into the tub, pulling open the curtain, then closing it and making sure it was pressed against the wall, like a seal. Yesterday, she'd forgotten to, and had soaked the floors _again_ , so now, she made sure it was done before anything _else_.

_Anything else..._

Alphys leaned down, twisting the faucets and waiting patiently, listening to the pipes work. Right on time, the showerhead burst to life with hot water, and Alphys gleefully went under it, shivering.

_Anything else...?_

For a moment, she leaned against the wall and let the water wash over her. She was in no hurry today, and knew that if she went over the time limit, the snails would be rubbery, but edible - mostly. She smiled, her eyes closed and her hands brushing over herself, her chill vanishing.

This, she knew, this shower, this technology... It was a luxury, even for the humans. She hadn't grown up with one, but when she'd begun to remodel the bathroom upon her return, she started using standard blueprints, and worked the rest out on her own.

It hadn't been _that_ hard for her, as she was smart, but even then, when she'd succeeded and examined the winning prints, as far as she could tell, it was very _easy_ to make a home shower - if one lived Underground, and if one had access to fresh-running water, and a means to heat it up...

She knew if anyone found out, especially a human, it would probably be some foolish scandal, especially when considering her past. It would likely cost her her job, and she couldn't let that happen.

But at the same time, she also refused to give it up, now that she did have it. As far as she was concerned, she was the only one who _deserved,_ it right now.

So she made sure the bathroom opened only to her, and she kept its only key around her neck, the very same one that would open a set of slots on the other side - lock combinations, ones only she knew.

Inventing something so useful, before her boss was a very easy way to ruin her life, so she kept all inventions as secret as possible.

Because she wanted to be greedy for once. Just _once_. And she chose the freedom of fresh-running water in her own home, without even blinking, or thinking twice.

Luckily, she was a loner, and, these days, barely attracted _Metta's_ attention – and he owed her a lot, too.

Though, to be fair, it was true that they were still very close friends, by now, especially because of how much she helped him get to where he was, now. But even then, she didn't really _want_ anything but that friendship, and she hoped she was managing to do it right; she'd never had one, before, and had barely been social _with_ a voice. 

_But that's not right now. That's not where I am. That's now what I care about, right now._

She shivered, rolling her shoulders a little, feeling the water run off her skin, then flatten out and vanish beneath it. Her muscles relaxed, and she sighed, remembering how it felt under a larger, bigger, and colder shower...

_Anything else?!_

She grabbed the bar of soap and a fresh washcloth, and started scrubbing. She found it better to arrive to work clean, instead of waiting to do it after work; it woke her, rejuvenated her, warmed her up and made her feel really, _really_ good...

_No. Nothing else, but this..._

_This, and whispered music bouncing off of monstermade walls, responding to the broken vibrations that somehow become feather-light, and pretty..._

Alphys's eyes rolled up, and she tilted her head back.

_And hearing whispered replies of my own secret pleas, my deepest loneliness, far deeper than the abyss, whose waters shimmer sheets of chalcedony ripples..._

She blushed, never able to control that, but she then dismissed it, knowing she had nothing to hide. She was a mute, thirty-odd virgin spinster; there was nothing to see, here, save what she wanted to see, herself.

_Knowing I'm alone, yet feeling no loneliness, reaching deep and between, the sounds longer, louder, sounds I never knew I could make..._

_The echoes teach me how, and when I obey, I'm someone else, someone who matters, someone who can create some kind of beauty, teased out with slick, massaging fingers..._

Though, it was true that Alphys liked to pretend she could feel something she liked about her body, the steam made her feel dopey and silly, making her cheeks burn and fingers close over her own flesh – her hand, over one of her breasts...

_Just this..._

_Whispers of replies, of promises of protection, devotion, emotion, and all I can feel is heat, even when the water falling around me is ice-cold..._

She hissed out, closing her eyes and dropping the cloth and soap to the side, moving herself back a little. After all this time, she always forgot to make room, but she forgot because she'd remembered, now – and wanted to remember nothing else.

_I know it's fancy... I know nobody's there... I know nobody would ever bother to listen to any sound that comes out of my mouth..._

_Let alone in a place like that..._

_But those deep replies, rich with a timbre that my voice, damaged or not, could never reach..._

_A voice... that sets me alight... and makes me feel real... seen..._

_Heard_...

Alphys leaned back against the wall, sitting down on the ledge she'd had built into the side of the tub, just a little place to sit, with room for her legs, as the shower washed over her front and warmed her to the bone. She moved into that ledge, now, one hand digging into the other side of the tub, leaning back as her other hand reached up – and ran her fingertips over the crook of her own neck, making sure the showered hit her skin _just right...._

She shuddered, lingering a moment, before cupping her own breast, her breaths growing shaky. She leaned her head forward, gritting her teeth, but she had absolutely no patience in the dark of night, and quickly moved that hand between her legs, reaching up, hips down, head back, eyes closed...

_This, please, this, please, this..._

_Yes, I'd hear, even when begging for release._

_Yes, yes, yes..._

Alphys smiled, feeling the ease given to her fingers, a slickness  _not_ water-related. She leaned her head back and pressed her thumb up, and she gasped, her finger reaching deeper by accident – but a happy one.

She knew her body. She had to. She'd been forced to, when everything had gone wrong, and it had made her sides literally split, her breathing a little difficult, in a way that made her dizzy and sick.

_Made worse when my own mother, crazed with rage, had sliced her claws between each cut – there were two on each side, between the ribs and hip – and kept doing so, til I screamed and tried to fight back, feeling like I was suffocating..._

She'd fainted, and when she woke up, each ditch that had been dug into each side – five on each – were now stitched up and bandaged.

For a moment, her other hand touched her side, and she traced the scars with that hand, alongside the other, now brushing over the folds of her cunt, making herself moan softly.

She could always tell which marks had been done by her mother, and the rest, by her mother's poison - because her mother's had not been as deep as those splits in her sides had been, thought she certainly tried her best...

Alphys gritted her teeth, feeling a spark she'd teased to life get snuffed out from these thoughts, and she shook her head, focusing back on _sensation_ , not _thought_. She soon felt that spark rekindle, and she grinned, leaned back, and moved her hand.

_No, no, go back, listen to that music, let it guide you now, until you can go back, and once again hear that music, made up or not..._

_I don't care..._

_I have so little pleasure in my life.._.

She did this almost every night, finding it a very soothing and calming way to start the day off alongside the shower. 

_And later, after lunch, before dinner, a private dessert, one sweeter than sugar, itself..._

_What kind of person would have a voice so deep...?_

_How can my voice, so squeaky and broke, somehow return to me smoothed out and repaired...?_

Whenever anyone said the words “start the day with a bang”, she would snort and shake with laughter, even while blushing.

It certainly was true in _her_ case, and it was why she needed the timer.

So, perhaps it wasn't _quite_ true to state that she did this more often than not.

* * *

She'd started like most children did, she supposed: completely confused by what her instincts were telling her to do in order to feel good. Any attempts she'd managed to begin, her brain shorted out the second she'd truly started to obey her body's commands, the feeling beyond intense. She'd been caught doing this as a child, and had most likely been smacked hard enough to make her stop, completely.

She knew this was true, because it was a pain so embedded within her, that even now, if she felt sudden lust or desire, she flinched, and looked for a place to hide, instead of a place to be alone with herself.

When she'd started anew, all alone, she isolated herself within the Lab outside of work hours, even when anyone - male, female, neither, or both – wanted to ask her out, seeing something she never could - in theory. In fifteen years, no matter what, when anyone tried, they always failed.

All she had to do was point to her mouth and shake her head, then make her hand open and close like her mouth should have done, and they were gone.

* * *

 After being rejected, yet again, she'd felt so lonely that morning after work, that she tried to remember how she'd done it as a child. Then she wondered why she would want to think of a child doing that.

And then, she got so grossed out, that for years after, she couldn't do it; it would always remind her, and make her want to vomit.

* * *

She knew _when_ and _why_ she'd tried again, but it had taken a long time to find the _how_. And while she used to, she no longer had someone to fill in for _who_ , because Metta was only her friend, as well as her _only_ friend...

So she tried to imagine herself being romanced by someone of her imagination - usually someone literary, especially if the book had pictures - and finally, she found _it_. She _found it,_ and eventually didn't even _need_ the books.

_The moment I started weeping, and my tears were met with sympathetic song..._

Oh, yes. She remembered the moment she stopped needing anything, save the rush of water overhead...

... _and then, that first hypnotic lullaby, one that still has power over me... one I yearn to share that power_ with _..._

* * *

 Once she'd started, she couldn't stop.

Well, no, she _could_. But she didn't _want_ to.

Alphys liked this private treasure on her own, and she enjoyed the feelings it gave her, her body's greatest reward. In those blissful seconds, she could pretend to be someone else; or herself, but _with_ someone else...

_And when you ran away from the cafeteria that day, did you expect to ever do this very same thing where you did... and still do...?_

In those blissful seconds, she could almost imagine the kind of face that had such a perfect voice, and she grinned, barely realising she was making those same sounds, pretending to hear _beyond_ her own voice.

_A velvet-smooth alto, joining my every cry, reminding me that this isn't so private after all..._

_Perhaps..._

Now, she let her hands do the work, her body moving and jerking against each spark and flare she felt, whenever the tip of her clit was rubbed _right_ on – and with one finger still reaching deep, moving the same pace...

Alphys was suddenly completely alone, in a place she knew existed only for herself, and she let it wash over her, existing only in these seconds, feeling hotter and hotter each time her fingers moved, her eyes shut and her head thrown back. She panted between clenched teeth, soft whimpers escaping her the longer she went.

_This, please... Yes... please, this... Yes, and more..._

And she was growing weak, now, needing to come, having enjoyed the sport and was now ready for her medal. She became frantic, trying not to pull or loosen the curtain.

Just before she could, she came, and started laughing, tears running down her cheeks, such sweet, gentle pleasure filling her up and zapping her blood... before lingering, then fading... then...

_A deep sigh, fading away with the rush of the waves, my body just... gently falls to the side... panting, smiling, my tears completely different..._

Alphys groaned, slumping forward and holding herself up on the other rim of the tub. She swallowed hard, continuing to moan, and though it was barely a sound – like tuned, squeaky whispers, Metta once said, because everything was music to Metta...

_Music... private symphony for, not one, but less than three..._

She grinned, panting and pressing her forehead to the back of her hands. That had been _good_. A kind of good she hadn't felt, before.

Though she was usually a pessimist, tired of having her hopes dashed, with this, she forgot, and decided to take this as a good omen. She already knew something was going on at Deltarune; she hoped this was a sign that it meant very good things.

 _Indeed_.

Alphys quickly woke herself up and finished her shower, only a minute late – but the snails were perfect, and she grinned, liking _that_ , too.

* * *

 By the time she was dressed in the “acceptable” work clothes – loose black skirts/slacks, a pressed blouse (muted colours, no patterns) or collared shirt, short sleeves only allowed in the summer – today favouring a soft, dusty teal cotton blouse, one with long sleeves she hid her hands beneath at times.

It was a favourite, and today, she felt like being pretty. She slid on loose grey slacks, and kept her tail out for now. By the time she was dressed for the cold, she needed to be on her way, and grabbed her lunch of snails, alongside her shoulderbag and her thermos of coffee.

She locked up, exited out the back way, and started walking, feeling the heat, now, but hoping she would still feel it when she hit the Core, where Deltarune was located. From there, she'd grab a ferry, and let herself be taken into the heart of the Core.

The Core, the place that powered _everything_.

The place that was the centred of the entire Underground.

The only place suitable for the kind of work Deltarune performed.

_Just another day at work._


	6. Last Chance Lost

_“…christ.”_

That was the first thing Undyne heard, when she suddenly realised she had ears, and could use them. They twitched, and she inhaled sharply, finding it hard to open her eyes.

But she recognised that voice. She knew it, despite having not heard it for a decade and a half. And when she did hear it, she wondered if she'd dreamt the encounter with Gaster; because if he was here, that meant she was safe.

_Didn't it?_

She heard footsteps, and that was when she knew for sure.

She recognised that stride, too.

She gritted her teeth, her hopes vanishing the second her entire body woke up, bit by bit. If she felt those pains, it meant that she hadn't dreamt it, and she really was back in Deltarune.

 _sans_.

* * *

His was the first voice she'd heard back then, too. She'd been very sick when she arrived, the means of her capture rather nasty, all things considered.

Gaster had followed rumours of a human-like monster in Waterfall, from his network of spies and hunters, using everything he had to prove that there was a way for monsters to become Boss Monster, and humans were a huge part of it.

He'd instructed them to poison the water within Waterfall, to make monsters, those intelligent enough to figure out how, come to the surface, to escape. 

Then, they would check over each one, to see how strong their souls were.

And they'd only found one strong enough, in the entire expanse of Waterfall. 

* * *

 But even though he'd deposed them, took over their kingdom, and humiliated them by forcing them to work menial jobs for him, he was unable to test on the Dreemurrs – including their children.

Toriel had rebelled, as he'd attempted to ensnare them into doing it, somehow, anyway, even if they said no, and she saw right through him. Asgore had been meek from the start, but Toriel had not.

When Gaster stated his intentions for their children, too, Toriel had had enough.

* * *

 She'd dragged him into a fight, shocking him and Asgore. She held his soul and fought him, not even holding back a little.

Between each attack, she mocked him, told him why she wasn't going to kill him, now, just like she hadn't when he'd deposed them: because even if he pretended otherwise, and had made sure everyone thought it true, only the Dreemurrs knew the real truth.

Gaster was _not_ a Boss Monster – and Toriel could easily crush his soul between her fingertips.

She pummelled the utter breath from him, then released his soul.

When he'd slumped into his chair, feeling himself start to tremble, she sat down regally in her own, across from the desk where he now ruled from.

Asgore was surprised. “Why did you keep him alive?”

Gaster was shocked to hear him say that. He'd never realised that Asgore still had a spine, meek or not.

“Because the humans agreed to this,” she answered, “and the ice between us and them is as thin as _this_ one's prowess.”

Toriel had gesture to Gaster, making sure he saw her toss her hand over her shoulder, her eyes cold and her smile a sneer.

When Asgore saw that, he'd gone silent, his face going blank.

But Toriel lifted her chin, her eyes still on Gaster's.

“I'm _not_ interested in a shadow rule,” she'd told him. “I and Gorey could use a break. And we know you still have the easiest means to kill us, with others to do it for you.”

Gaster raised his head, looking at her with a glare. He was too exhausted to sign his words, and lacked the magical capacity in his weakness to use his magic.

"But you know we could kill you easily, now," Toriel went on. "And I will kill you where you stand, if you so much as write a hypothesis for any experiments on any of my children. If you want to get the surface back, you need to be alive, don't you?"

He agreed, and it was done.

In exchange for full obedience, Gaster promised to leave them, or any children they had, alone.

And that was the _true_ deal.

* * *

After that, Toriel worked at Deltarune as head janitor, and was obedient and did her job good. She never showed any signs of rebellion, and if she'd recognised Alphys, neither he nor Alphys could tell.

But before then, Toriel had been on her own with F-1 for years, now, and was shocked to see it suddenly lit up and put to use again. She cleaned it, pretending to be deaf, and when she heard that the “Asset” Gaster had brought in was a _person_ – a _child_ – and was going to be his very first test subject.

Toriel had slipped away, and grabbed sans, before pretending not to see him as he ran up to F-1, just as there was a scream, and the sound of fighting.

She'd been knocked out by the time they let him in, by a punch to the temple, but they let him take her to the infirmary and patch her back up, all under secure guard and as covert as possible.

* * *

This time, Undyne knew that Toriel had not sent for him. And she knew why he'd not only sent sans, but kept Toriel away, too.

To make them both feel _shame_.

She shivered, because it worked. She now knew where she was, and hated that she remembered it with such clarity, despite not having even opened her eyes, yet.

The last few months of her captivity had included a great number of times she'd woken up here.

And truly, in this moment, she felt like a teenager, again. She felt weak, and in pain, and scared. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be back home, beneath her glowing waters, her eyes always searching, searching, searching _for_...

Her stomach sank.

 _That's_ _how they got me…_

_Oh, fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck..!_

“Fuck,” she hissed out, trying to get her body to obey, to get up and move, before he found her and drugged her, before he jailed her and tortured her...

_But if they caught me there, then that means--!_

Undyne cried out, as much of a scream as she could muster, hoping it would break open a reserve of adrenaline, one that would pull herself free, to run back, to make sure...

_Make sure...!_

She cried out again, her first attempt not even moving her fingers. Her voice was louder, and lasted longer, but was still pathetic.

Then, she felt cold fingers upon one of her hands – her right, she now felt.

Finger _bones_...

“…uggh... s... sans...?” she hissed out, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her from that failed attempt. She gritted her teeth, and felt a tear slide down from her right eye.

But from her left, she felt... _nothing_.

Her heart sank, then started to pound.

 _That metal rod,_ she remembered. _The one he'd smashed into my face._

 _My_ eye.

 _It_  - _that rod thing_ -  _electrocuted_ _me. The bastard_ electrocuted _me._

_He wanted to try and kill me, first._

“it's me,” he agreed, and for a moment, she just listened to his voice, the only thing keeping her from panicking. “you're right; you're back here.”

She grabbed hold of his hand tight. She knew they were being watched. He always had cameras everywhere; he'd been the one to install the cameras, for the old Lab in Hotland. So she knew better than to expect privacy.

Luckily, despite being completely up-to-date in terms of technology, they were still a product of their time, this time. They could only record image, not sound, and no spell could attach to them and pick it up that way, because magic was volatile to human technology.

And everyone knew that the humans were much further along than them, and always would be. Their state-of-the-art cameras were the human's cast-offs for when they'd made something better to replace it.

That's how Deltarune had started out, in the first place: as a way to merge their techs and magics to each other, to work together and live well with interspecies cooperation.

But that failed with segregation.

And now, it was _this_.

Undyne was breathing quickly, unable to help it. She was in agony: her head weighed down with pain and weakness; the left side of her face was encased in similar pain; and when she'd fallen into the concrete, she'd ripped the skin of her palms and knees – even as her wrists and ankles still chafed from being bound.

She wasn't bound, now. So she wanted to use this time the best she could.

“Please,” she whispered, “sans, please, the pain, I can't...”

She heard him sigh, then let go of her hand. There was rustling, the sound of something crumpled, then thrown away, and several clicks. She felt a cold sensation spread up from her left hand all the way up to her elbow, before she suddenly went limp, her eye rolling up and her hand dropping from beside her.

“Thank you,” she whispered, tears continuing to run down her cheeks and sting her face; she had torn skin on her face, too. “Now... now, I need two things.”

“no, undyne,” he snapped, even when he sat back down and took hold of her hand. "i'm not helping you, this time. not to _escape_ , anyway.”

“I'm not asking you to,” she admitted, her voice sounding as weak as she felt, her brain coated in the molasses of intravenous morphine. “I'm asking for two _favours_.”

 _Humans are so good at finding drugs_ , she realised. _Especially ones that make you numb._

“sans, I want you to go back to Waterfall, where the run-off is. The abyss.”

She listened, but he said nothing, so she went on.

“I need you to bring me an echo flower. And when I’m done speaking into it, I want you to take it back there, and leave it there, okay?”

It was a lot to say, and when she said it, her voice was tugged and pulled by her pain and exhaustion, her eyes still closed and her whole face feeling papery and weird.

But she said it.

“okay, that's doable,” he said, sounding surprised. “what's the other one?”

Undyne smiled, hoping he could see it. “Kill me. Now. Before he sees that I’m awake and gets here.”

sans was silent, but his hand started shaking, and she heard him shift in his seat. “i am _not_ doing that,” he snapped.

“Please,” she begged, the second he started to answer. “Please, sans, I'm _begging_ you. There has to be a way! Use more morphine, put air in my IV, I don't fucking _care_! I can't _do this,_ again! I _can't_ go back!! _Mercy_ , sans! _Mercy!!"_

By the end, she was shrieking, her voice broken with tears and pain, feeling desperate. She could feel the time running out the longer he hesitated, and she was growing afraid.

It was that fear that opened her eyes.

Her _eye_.

Only her right eye obeyed.

She was quiet for a moment, shocked. She hadn't anticipated actually _losing_ her eye, despite realising how much sense it made, from what she now remembered.

In her distraction, however, she almost forgot _why_ she tried to open it at all, especially when sans sounded like he was about to leave.

Her eye landed on his form, seeing blurs that made her dizzy, her vision feeling narrow and claustrophobic. She reached out and snagged his wrist into her right hand, and he stopped.

He turned around, and their eyes met.

“Please,” Undyne begged. Her eye filled with tears, and she was unable to swallow a terrified sob.

_If he leaves, if I don't die, if I don't get back...!_

“i don't have any problems doing the first one, undyne,” he said, his pinpoint eyes dim, from what she could see. He wore a white coat, as usual, but at least beneath it he dressed like who he was: casual, but warily aware.

Undyne's heart lifted, and she nodded. “Thank you, thank you! Please, sans, you know what he's going to do to me!” she cried, tugging harder on his wrist. “He's going to use me up until I’m nothing, and he'll hurt countless others without batting an eye, like he did the first time!”

When she said _that_ , something in sans's face twitched, and he looked away for a moment, silent.

She frowned; he looked like he expected an accusation, or answer an incriminating question, but she had nothing like that to ask.

“I heard him, sans,” she insisted, seeing it as disbelief. “The worst result, what it did. That it had almost killed the recipient, and had contaminated someone else, and killed _them_. And nobody knows who got whatever it was, so they're probably dead, too!"

And that was the problem.

“Someone _died_ because of me! Someone's _entire_ _life_ was ruined, and _they're_ probably dead, too, because of _me!”_ she cried, close to shouting, now. She tried to pull him back, but even as weak as he was, right now, she was weaker.

And sans did lower his head, his eyes darkening for a moment. He nodded, though again, he looked like he knew something, but kept silent lest he was blamed for it.

“You have to kill me,” she cried. “Now, sans! Before he comes here! You have more morphine, yeah? Hook it up! Give me an overdose! _Hurry_ , before I kill, again!! Mercy, sans! I am begging you for _MERCY!!"_

Her voice broke, and sans suddenly met her gaze, and she looked back, still crying.

“Look at me,” she added. “I'm broken. I'm no use alive, anymore. At least I won't know or feel him destroy my body! Unless we find a way to kill me that destroys my body, too, so I won't keep killing even after I'm dead...!"

At that, sans did hesitate, looking ready to agree, looking seconds from agreeing...

But this time, he failed her.

Gently, sans prised her fingers from his wrist, and when she tried to sit up and grab it, again, he pushed her back down, a hand to her shoulder, the very action enough to make her feel fuzzy and weird...

“anytime you want me to get that flower, tell me,” he said, the moment he was out of her range – and she'd understood that he was _not_ about to kill her. “but when it comes to jailbreak, it's not gonna work, despite my wanting it, too. i want to, i'm waiting for a chance to try, but i _can't,_ because when you left, he used me as a punching bag.”

Undyne stared at him, stunned. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, what she was seeing.

The moment he'd discovered the details of who she'd been – and how old she was – had made him rebel, and he'd been _essential_ in her escape, especially one so bloodless.

But now, despite knowing that she was about to face much worse than she had, before, he wasn't going to do it.

He was going to let her get scraped empty, get hollowed out into a husk, and he would probably be the one to sweep up her dust once she finally died.

Because he was afraid he would get beaten up, again.

He was afraid of his own _father_ , despite knowing that Gaster never could – and never _would_ – kill _either_ of his sons.

“You...” she gasped out, finding it hard to breathe, her chest feeling heavy and sore. “But sans... you... _you_ _can't_ _just_...!"

Even as she spoke, he was slowly backing away, toward the door.

Her eye flared, and finally, that last burst broke open.

She snarled, sitting up and throwing herself after him, managing to pull him to her as she fell, so that she could bring him down with her, perfectly. She landed on his back, and they slammed to the floor, sudden bright, tearing pain shocking her left hand, but she ignored it.

She reached up and wrapped her hands around his skeletal throat, though she was surprised to find him bleeding, already, when her hands had just closed around his throat.

_Where else could the blood have come from, staining my hands..._

_“Undyne, get the fuck off me, before you bleed out!”_

She shuddered, but ignored him, trying to choke him, wondering how it would work, if it could, and if that blood was his, how could he speak so well, and in _that_ voice?

 _Wait, why can't I see v_ ery well.. _.? It's not only because of...?_

She never found out, because before she could, she passed out, barely hearing sans radioing in for help.

When she realised she was fainting, she did something that, when seen, sent chills through anyone who saw her.

Undyne smiled.


	7. The Prices We Pay

Gaster sighed, listening to sans talk as he watched the video, his eyes on his Asset moving sharply over her every move, her image reflected upon his glasses becoming inverted and upside-down.

“…and yeah, she asked me to break her out. before you even start to ask.”

He'd figured it was something like that, but he nodded, watching, trying to prise the grey fuzz of an imperfect machine away with his will, but of course it failed. Even fuzz on his own screens had the audacity to disobey his whims...

 _Maybe someday,_ he thought idly.

Both when silent when they saw Undyne lunge, ripping the IV out of her arm – and thus tearing one of her major veins gaping open, to gushing blood. She staggered, trying to strangle him, but when she fainted, the Sans in the image looked terrified, trying to slide himself from beneath her, while looking for something to tourniquet her wound, until help got there.

Gaster had made sure she got it. Just not from sans.

This was something sans also knew, because he knew, despite his hard work and dedication, Undyne had still escaped under his watch, last time. He'd been younger, too, but still with quite a few years over her; he was already so cynical that Gaster had thought him the perfect match for her, thinking he would break her spirit with his bored apathy.

Gaster's eyes narrowed, taking mild pleasure in what he watched, now, and knew sans was looking away.

Undyne was out cold, her blood _everywhere_ , but when security got there – and not a _medical_ team – Undyne began to die, starting to bleed out in truth, even while she never knew it.

 _How familiar_ , he noticed, even thought that thought made his smile fade. 

They'd grabbed her by one arm, the one not bleeding, and dragged her back over to her bed, before throwing her back onto it, making faces when they found their hands were bloody. Through it all, Sans was screaming, silently, his hands waving in panic and distress, but they ignored him – until Sans apparently said something that got their attention.

'What did you say?' Gaster asked, using magic so that he didn't have to turn around to speak.

“the truth: if she died, and they were found treating her like... _that_... all while they didn't get her help, then i'd make sure that  _they_ were the ones who told you, not me."

Silently, though, they both added, _Despite being the cause of it._

As the figures darted around the room, two janitors Gaster didn't bother or need to recognise rushed in try to clean, while Sans was gesticulating for more help. One janitor left and ran to get the med staff back, while the other hesitated, looking stunned.

When sans came back with two of Gaster's own nursing staff - he'd already called them up, because he really had watched it all live - the two janitors took off, terrified (they quit not long after, but Gaster didn't care).

Undyne was, by then, clearly about to crumble. She didn't move, and he watched as the puddle beside her bed kept growing, smirking faintly.

He knew she wasn't dead. He knew it would take more than _that_.

He also knew that, while it might be cheaper and easier to do this, alive, he _could_ let her die before she crumbled. 

But not yet. Not until he had what he needed.

What they _all_ needed...

'She'll be out for a while, do you think?'

The question made sans angry, but he swallowed it. “yes, clearly.”

'Good. Send her to F-1.'

But sans hesitated, shocked. Gaster was still watching as Undyne finally started to get help – something that happened only an hour ago, and had felt days long – and yet he still asked for this.

“we can't move her,” he said softly. “she'll die.”

'Move her; you'll see,' Gaster repeated, smiling wider, now. He had a wonderful plan. 'Then, send the two janitors assigned to this office to the infirmary, instead. I won't be here.'

Inside, sans was shaking, but outside, he showed nothing.

Gaster already knew, anyway. He knew sans had helped Undyne escape. He'd _always_ known.

And he'd made sure to punish sans accordingly, and for the entire time Undyne was gone.

Which did remind him _. '_ If you're bothered by it, sans, you have something you could do.'

“what?” sans whispered, dreading the answer.

But it was the one he least expected.

'Undyne is back, sans. And while I do plan on keeping him here, still, during the time that I’m busy with her, you can see him.'

That was something sans had never expected, not in a million years. He wasn't sure if he even read it right.

“but that, bringing her back, had nothing to do with _me_.” He argued, not because he wanted to, but because he was terrified of what Gaster was planning, by doing _this_.

And if it was a bad thing sans  _could_ prevent, he would do his best to at least _try..._

_But..._

'You proved your loyalty in the infirmary,' Gaster said, though they both knew it was a question, not meant to be answered. 'Maintain it by staying out of the way, this time. If you're away from her, you won't care a thing about her, now, will you?'

“yeah,” sans choked out, the words vile. “okay, you're right. thank you... i’ll go... make the arrangements, then i can...?”

'Go see your brother, yes,' Gaster confirmed, amused by how careful sans was being.

He had no idea that his days were permanently numbered, no matter what he did, or how he did it. All he knew was that he'd past a test he hadn't realised he was taking, and wanted to use that grade to ask for a reward.

Now, he had it.

And Gaster knew that it would be all he cared about, and would keep him busy, until Gaster was completely done with Undyne.

 _hopefully_ , sans thought, feeling a staggering guilt when he did. 

Because clearly, it wasn't just _his_ life on the line, but his _brother's_ , now, too...

Then, Gaster would continue, already planning, as sans dismissed himself. He would move to that  _next_ subject, a wild card he'd kept hidden, just in case something like this happened.

And in this alone, he felt true hesitation. He truly didn't _want_ to have to – he wanted Undyne to be enough – but he also lacked the true passion to get worked up about it.

Families died.

Experiments failed.

Humans conquered.

But Gaster wasn't ready to give in to _any_ of those, yet.

With a grin, he patted the side of his leg, feeling the electric metal rod he'd used to destroy Undyne's left eye still buckled there, what humans called the "Howdy-Do". It was meant as a prod for disobedient livestock, and it had already proven to be the perfect weapon for controlling his Asset.

Now, he had her, for good.

He knew there were still some meetings to be made with it in his hand, repeat meetings, and he was fine with _that_. He hadn't had this weapon, the first time, and only had it, now, because he'd bought it from the black caravan, the network of back alley criminals, selling ill-gotten human gains at a fantastically inflated rate.

It appeared to be worth much more than he'd paid, all things considered. 

He'd planned, from his first sight of it, to use it on Undyne, to use it _only_ on Undyne, to make sure that she knew that her place was here, now.

And she would die here, under his hand.

That, he guaranteed.

As he left the room, over his shoulder, the new tape he'd installed was now recording the current feed, the two janitors he'd sent there arriving, at last.


	8. Life Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these chapters keep flying out, while I neglect countless other stories that should have been done months, ago. But this story is something I started just for myself, wanting to see if I could do it. And so far, I have, and I don't want to stop that. 
> 
> So if you're still waiting for this or that fic to be updated, I'm sorry. I am doing my best, but because most of this is also part of my therapy, I write only what I can, at whatever moment. I know fellow writers get what I'm saying. 
> 
> I guess I just wanna add: please be patient. I haven't forgotten about the story you're thinking of, not even close, and I am working on it. But right now, it feels most distracting to work on this. I'm sorry.

Alphys was, for the first time in years, _excited_ about something. She'd never really been around Deltarune during the busiest years, it seemed, and to suddenly be surrounded by others, chattering away excitedly about what they'd already heard, most not even in their aprons, yet, made her feel a thrill.

She listened, as most tended to forget about her by now, either not caring or assuming she was deaf, and heard a lot about an “asset” of Dr Gaster's, some long-awaited thing that some were saying was the key to finally change and shift the power back toward the monsters, and finally give them the means to fight back against the humans.

Alphys found it strangely nerve-wracking; she realised she was shaking only when she went to grab a cart, amused to have an early pick at them, as most of her colleagues were still gossiping. She bit her lip, looking at her hands for a moment, and watched as they trembled. Her heart raced, but now it was uncomfortably hard, and it made her feel edgy.

So when she felt a gentle touch to her shoulder, she jumped, turning around and expecting to have to give up the cart she'd snagged.

But it was Toriel, already aproned and looking ready to go. She seemed to have caught the bug that Alphys first had, and Alphys wondered if _she_ would start to feel sick about it, too.

“Good morning, Alphys! Goodness!” Toriel said instead, keeping her hand in place as Alphys turned around to face her – and smile at her shyly, signing the greeting back - but not the surprised part.

Toriel eyed her closely, noticing she looked a little pale, her eyes darting around her as though expecting a fight. She noticed Toriel looking, and she blushed, biting her lip.

'The things they’re all talking about,' _s_ he finally confessed. 'I thought it would keep me excited, too, like them, but...'

Toriel nodded, waiting for her to go on, but Alphys was now stuck, having hoped that Toriel would feel the same, and fill in the gaps for her. When she didn't, Alphys realised she was on her own, and went on, a little disappointed.

'It makes me nervous,' she confessed at last, _'_ and I don't know why.'

“Well,” Toriel replied, squeezing her shoulder before walking around her, to grab a cart of her own. “I admit that I’m one of the few people who rarely finds _anything_ to be excited about, around here, so I understand why you're concerned, despite not feeling the same way as you.”

The words were just right, and calmed Alphys a little, feeling validated and comforted by it. She smiled gratefully up at Toriel, especially when she, as usual, grabbed the items off of the taller shelves, to stock their carts up with. Alphys did her part; she grabbed the ones lower, too steep for Toriel to bend forward for, her back often too sore, but it was a complete non-issue for someone as short as Alphys.

Theirs was a partnership founded on necessity, yes, but it had taken very little to make it become a friendship. For the first two years, Alphys barely opened up, terrified to, and instead, to keep them both amicable, Toriel helped her with her sign language. By now, she was completely fluent, and could keep conversations with Toriel going for hours, as soon as she finally learnt how – and knew she really could trust Toriel, for sure.

They were friends, no question. Close friends, no doubt. But they were not the type of friends that went home to see their friend's family, or spend much time outside of work. Alphys only had Metta, and he worked during the day, and Toriel's family was one Alphys already knew, and felt much too shy to even _talk_ about them, much less _meet_ them.

But they were still close, and Alphys knew she could trust Toriel – and Toriel, Alphys. For Toriel, it had been easy, as the second she met Alphys, she immediately kicked into mother-mode, seeing an orphan starved for love and affection. Metta couldn't really give her that, but Toriel was generous with both, making sure to touch Alphys a few times a day, both for work and around it. They both had bad days, and often leaned on each other, picking up the other's slack when too sad or conflicted to do it on her own.

Alphys still felt anxious, and it was a hot snake that slipped through her veins, working slowing through its passages and striking her right in the heart. She shook, still, but knew she wasn't hungry, yet.

It was ridiculous, but Alphys was _scared_. She didn't know why or how, but she was, and it wasn't going away, despite the ease of their routine.

Toriel noticed, and smiled, covering one of her hands, one that held the handle of the cart tight. Alphys looked up at her, trying to smile, but all she did was look tense, her tail rigid.

“Alphys, dear,” Toriel called, and she nodded. “Everything is okay. Whatever this new thing is, we'll get through it like we always do. Don't we?”

Alphys nodded, smiling a little, but then feeling badly, losing it. 'You spent too much kindness on me,' she said clumsily. 'You know your own kids deserve it, more.'

Toriel smiled. That was an argument Alphys made often, so certain that she deserved all the world's worst, to keep it from anyone else. She cared about Asriel and Chara, despite never having met them, and wanted the best for them, too. That was precious to Toriel, and never forgot it, each time she showed it.

“But they have a father, too,” Toriel corrected gently, and Alphys sniffled. “And you have neither. It hurts me none to spend my eight hours here with you, including doling out some motherly affection.”

Alphys blushed again, but this time, Toriel knew it was from shy, please gratitude. Alphys nodded, grabbing Toriel's hand and squeezing it.

Before she could thank her properly, however, both she and Toriel heard their names being called, and looked over. Alphys moved a little behind Toriel, again paranoid that they would swipe her cart back, but that wasn't it.

It was someone from one of the hangars, and they were told that they were reassigned; they were going to the infirmary, first, not the security room.

“Why?” Toriel asked, unruffled.

Alphys was, confused as ever and wondering if she'd done something wrong; if it meant she was being _seen_...

“I wasn't told. Follow me, please.”

Toriel rolled her eyes and grabbed her cart, and when Alphys had done the same, the messenger nodded and led them out of the supply room.

* * *

“Oh, _hell_...”

Toriel hissed it out, the second her eyes fell on something bright red, on the floor, and – almost everywhere else.

Alphys was no stranger to the infirmary, her asthma - a peril that came to life when she'd woken up in the hospital on her birthday - had landed her here several times by mistake, and she would either not realise that she was walking into a hazard, or was so blinded by said hazard that by that time, she was already coughing.

Over the years, Alphys had fainted, several times, from stress or asthma. She always woke up here, with Toriel at her side, with a snack and something sweet to drink, a human kind of juice – expensive, but also heavenly to a parched throat. Once both realised how frequent it could be, it became a kind of _thing_ between them; it was one of the few instances that Alphys let Toriel _truly_ mother her.

Now, they were walking into the place in a completely different way, and Alphys started shaking, stunned. In all of her years working here, she'd never seen anything like this; none of Gaster's experimental victims usually went that bad – or lasted long enough to land them here.

It was like walking into a war zone, blood painting nearly everything, most of it beside the recovery bed – which was also badly stained.

Toriel's eyes flared, her nose twitching, but she said nothing, and Alphys hadn't seen it, too shaken up.

“Anything you can't clean, bag up,” the person who'd led them here said. “We'll burn it later, if it can't be saved. Please make this as spotless as possible, in no more than an hour.”

Toriel raised an eyebrow. “Are you pulling my leg?” she demanded. “Do you not see what's splattered about this place?!”

“Of course not. And neither do you.”

The person then left, before Toriel could snap back, irritated. When she turned back to her cart, she found Alphys hiding behind her own, trembling so hard that the jar of various brushes shook, too. Her eyes were closed, and she had hunched over, trying to shrink herself into something smaller, as small as possible...

Toriel was stunned, but she didn't understand. The second Alphys had seen the blood, and added it to the fact that it was an infirmary, she felt horrific memory slice through her, and her eyes – when open – had filled with tears, their usually translucent colour almost opaque with fear.

“Alphys...?” Toriel called, her voice soft.

She knew how to approach someone spooked – what she called the kind of panic that came with encountering familiar, but traumatising things. It was clear, by the way Alphys kept shaking her head and trying to hide, that she was indeed spooked, and would not move from behind her cart.

Alphys couldn't help it. All she could see was her _own_ blood. Even when she tried to use her senses, like she always did, to come back down from this kind of terror, she failed to calm. The scent of the blood was _painful_ to her, and almost _familiar_ , and to see it exposed alarmed her, and made her mistake it for her own.

If it had smelt any different, Alphys would have wept, always saddened by the loss of life, but done it, anyway, like always.

But _this_ wasn't as simple. _This_ had her encased in ice, or like she was suddenly injected with cement.

Toriel had _never_ seen such a thing – from Alphys – before, and it reminded her that, even now, Alphys still had her secrets.

Toriel had been told from the start that Alphys was 'a bad, failed experiment'. Over the years, after getting to know her and learning the whole story bit-by-bit, she knew as much as she could – and indeed, in some instances, sometimes finding that she knew _more_ than Alphys knew – but she'd never anticipated this kind of reaction.

From what Toriel knew, Alphys had been orphaned on her eighteenth birthday, after her mother and her work – or life; Alphys had never found out – partner had practically tested on her for her entire life. That whole life was a series of experiments, and when it came time for the major one, the reason why she'd been born at all, something had gone wrong, and she lost her voice, and gained asthma. Her mother had snapped, and started clawing at her child, enraged by this failure and wanting to destroy her.

But the reason _why_ was never disclosed; just that it had been how she'd woken up, and how she'd started to die, before she was treated – and then abandoned.

She didn't know her father. She knew her mother was dead.

Toriel had gone over it throughout the years, confounded by such a cruel, heartless thing, until Alphys mentioned where she now lived, and in which building.

There, with that, Toriel discovered that she did know a bit more than Alphys did. Because she'd known the Royal Scientist _very_ well.

When she did a bit of math, her heart sank – and she knew. She knew _a lot_ more than Alphys did, about her own life.

But to tell Alphys, especially _this_ late, would ruin her life. She'd become, somehow, used to this cage she'd built around herself, forcing herself to remain in painful places, relive painful memories, and be forced to suffer the consequences of all of it for the rest of her life – and always, alone. If she knew the full extent of what had happened, and how bad it was that the experiment failed, she wouldn't be able to handle it. Toriel knew that.

It would not end well, to say the least.

But this... _this_ was something Toriel should have anticipated, knowing what she did. _This_ was something she should have been expecting, all along, and had wanted it to happen. That way, with Alphys's help, Toriel would know how to help her younger friend, best, should something remind her of her past.

Now, it was too late. This was the first time it had happened, and neither were prepared for it.

Alphys was shivering, hiding her face behind her hands, rocking slowly and curling her tail around herself. She wasn't sitting on the floor, but crouched, and she sniffled, making several pained, broken sounds, and tried to beg aloud for Toriel to kill her.

 _No,_ she corrected herself, the only part of her brain not soaked in panic, _you were asking_ her _to kill you. Not Toriel, but_ her _._

_Mother..._

_But_ she's _not here, Alphys. And you're not_ there _._

Toriel set everything aside when she heard those sounds, not hearing words, but tone, and understanding at once.

She crouched down beside Alphys, who didn't seem to notice. "Alphys,” she called, knowing better than to touch her, yet. “Alphys, dear, it's Toriel. Remember?”

Alphys shuddered, the voice cutting through with the second time Toriel said her name – and especially when Toriel used her own. Only Alphys called Toriel by her full name, something only Toriel, herself, knew. Everyone else called her _Tori_ , either from affection, fear, or a lazy attempt to shame her, as if it mattered that someone she worked with degraded her name down to its lowest syllables, when it had once been long and rich... 

Alphys suddenly relaxed, burying her face into her knees, her arms going over her head. Thinking about Toriel was helping her calm down, and it reminded her of the obvious logic: if _Toriel_ was here,  _Alphys_ was, too. She was real, and the memories were not.

Toriel, at the beginning, had tried to get Alphys to use the nickname, too, but Alphys had been _mortified;_ she refused, settling only for “Mrs Dreemurr” for about a year. As they got to know each other, and because Toriel was her only coworker who was fluent in sign language, she could always tell Alphys's mood by the _way_ she said her name.

“Mrs Dreemurr” happened very rarely, anymore, except during moments of intense stress. “Ms Toriel” was what Alphys _used_ when trying to talk to someone else about the Queen, but Toriel always translated it without the “Ms”.

Eventually, Alphys finally settled on “Toriel”, and that was that.

Instead of being annoyed by it, Toriel was charmed; by being the only one _that_ keenly aware of someone else’s scars, Alphys made the sign of Toriel's full name like she would with any other affectionate nickname for someone else.

To Alphys, “Toriel” _was_ the nickname, and Toriel loved it. She loved _Alphys_ , in her own motherly – but also friendly – way. She loved Alphys for who she was, and was one of two (perhaps three) people who'd ever seen the _true_ Alphys.

_This isn't her._

“Dear, can you hear me?”

Alphys nodded, this time, feeling her mind start to become almost uncluttered around her; now that she was able to push everything back to where it all should be, she could finally start to remember where _and_ when she really was.

She felt Toriel's hand upon her shoulder, but she didn't jump or flinch; she didn't move, _needing_ to be touched so much, right now, but too afraid to say a word, in case she scared that touch away.

Toriel was never scared away from Alphys. She'd seen her furious, and had only felt concern, not fear. She knew Alphys was a gentle soul, so used to rolling over and submitting to the world's cruelties, living each day with the awareness that her life's purpose had passed, and she'd failed it, and now remained afloat, adrift, living a life she felt she'd never earned...

Without understanding that life was a _gift_ , not a _reward_...

“There we go,” Toriel murmured, squeezing Alphys's shoulder. She took hold of her other shoulder, to hold her up.

Alphys suddenly just melted into her side, heavy with shock and fear. She trembled, always uncertain whenever she tried to get a hug from Toriel, but every time, like now, Toriel moved closer and hugged her properly. Alphys let her, her hands silent and held to her own chest, her forehead pressed to Toriel's warm, soft shoulder, weeping, now.

Toriel held her, rocking her a little, as Alphys had started to do so, already. With it, Alphys felt that tight feeling in her chest begin to unravel. She sniffled, trying to calm down faster, but Toriel simply held her close, willing to take the time she needed to help her feel better.

Alphys cherished every second, aware of how easy it was for people to forget that she was even alive, let alone how to hold her when needing to be held...

It took longer than Alphys had liked, but to Toriel, it seemed too short, and Alphys pulled away slowly, her eyes lowered and her posture apologetic. Her face looked nervous as well as scared, and she held her hands up, unsure of what to say, but knowing she had to say _something_...

But Toriel covered them, making Alphys look up with surprised.

Their eyes met, and Toriel's softened, before she smiled kindly. She nodded, closing her eyes briefly, and Alphys swallowed hard, her eyes welling up anew.

It always meant so much to her, when people tried to talk back to her, using her own language of hands, face, and stance, to reply to her. Toriel had done this thousands of times, by now.

Today, however, it felt different. It felt _significant_ , and it mixed with the added confusion of everything that had already happened, in less than two hours of getting here, making her mind swim with bewilderment and grief.

She'd been so excited, hoping a change within Deltarune meant _good_ things. All of those good omens she'd started with, the good feelings she'd felt when seeing Toriel, being excited, _together_...

They seemed to vanish, a list of goodness that fell into a puddle of badness – _blood_ – and made the letters run, the ink weep and swirl and mingle with it, the paper turning to sludge...

This time, when she felt Toriel touch her cheek, Alphys jumped.

“Alphys,” she said, and Alphys nodded. “I can do this by myself.”

But Alphys shook her head quickly. 'No, I’m sorry,' she signed quickly, her face burning with shame. She had to _earn_ her gold, and it couldn't be done while crying on a bloody floor. She pulled herself back up, using her cart, and added, her eyes already dark and on the floor, 'Let's get started.'

Toriel agreed, but even though Alphys hadn't seen it, Toriel had, and she made sure to keep in front of Alphys, to move her aside, whenever there was a particularly bad patch, and needed scrubbing. Alphys kept busy with smaller jobs, taking a long time to complete them, but Toriel said nothing, letting her do barely nothing without protest.

Because those words had been signed with fingers that trembled so badly that it was almost unintelligible, something Alphys _never_ did, knowing how important it was to make each gesture clear, so that she was understood properly, and not taken advantage of.

When she'd said that last part, Alphys hadn't even noticed. She didn't even watch herself sign.

Now, Toriel worried about Alphys, and couldn't shake the fear that all of this was indeed related.

That was the last thing she wanted.


	9. Peaceful Poisons

The first thought Undyne had when she woke up was a simple one:

_Fuck my life..._

Because she was waking up. And she hadn't banked on that actually happening.

She didn't think that Gaster would even bother to try and keep her alive, let alone in... what was she lying in...? It felt familiar, weightless, but it also made her feel... better, just a bit, even as she felt her pains wake up slowly alongside her mind.

She heard a clanking noise, one that made her jump – and then gasp, the pain that slapping her silly and making her reel with it, unable to breathe for a moment.

Her eye hurt. Or what was left of it; she could feel that the bandages had come loose, but they also felt oddly heavy. Her arm hurt, but it was throbbing with clear indication that her body intended to heal itself, despite these pains.

 _But that's impossible,_ she realised, her fingers twitching and feeling weightless, lying on her back, held up by velvety warmth. _There's no way I’m back home. There's no fucking way._

She growled, hearing that sound and feeling her head respond with clanks of its own. But the sound seemed to almost echo, and when she heard _that_ , her ear twitched – the other was buried under bandages – and she inhaled, using both her mouth and her gills.

Immediately, warmth spread through her body, through her gills, and she gasped, again, but this time with shock. She could feel, with each breath, her body responding, and could feel the water enter her body and soothe it.

 _I was suffocating,_ she realised, now understanding why everything had felt off. _I hadn't been in the waters for hours and hours, fuck knows how long..._

_How is this possible?_

She heard another clank, and when it startled her, her eye snapped open. Her vision was blurry, but she could see where she was – and why she was feeling what she felt.

She was in F-1. She knew that. The ceiling was familiar, and hadn't changed in half of her lifetime. But what she didn't understand was that, this time, they'd set up an actual _pool_ for her, one seven feet deep and taking up half of the room, the waters within it shimmering, its lights bouncing off of the pipes above. Her eye moved to the right, and saw _that,_ thelong, elongated tank that was still in the same place as before.

That hadn't changed.

That was all she could see of the room for now, as she was now distracted by how easily her body floated within these indoor waters; she hadn't thought it possible, but here she was.

_Had it been sans's idea?_

_sans._

Her stomach fell, and she turned her eye toward where she'd heard the loud sound, glad that she was at least allowed clothes, this time. He'd kept her naked for most of her first round here, knowing that, while she preferred it beneath the waters, she loathed it above them, around others, and he'd counted on her shame to keep her from running away.

If she behaved, she was given something to wear. If not, she went with nothing.

But that had only worked for so long. He'd never counted on how easily insanity made a person forget to care about anything, beyond escaping from that very insanity...

She'd _escaped_ naked.

* * *

 When she'd found the last camera, and held her hand up to the monitor, she was naked, still. Knowing he was on the other side, watching her, she then made sure the light hit her body, showing him that his mishandling meekness ended up being part of his undoing.

Monsters could not be undone with vanity, and Gaster had forgotten that, for a while even forgetting she _wasn't_ human. She had been vain from the start, as vain as teenagers can get, perhaps, but also _terrified_ , knowing that she was powerless and surrounded by monsters eager to make sure she knew of her vulnerability - _completely_. 

She didn't want to be abused that way. She'd been abused every other way, it seemed, but that was too much. 

But that was early, during those first few days of trying to navigate this new reality, desperate for comforts to keep her mind calm and her body poised, so that she wouldn't panic - and get worse than she'd ever imaged possible...

By the end, when she continued to rebel, and she knew she was safe from his guards's idle hands, she used her nudity to taunt him, knowing that nudity threw him when used against him. 

 _He has a kid!_  she thought once, when he'd sighed and tossed her a shift, one she let drop to the floor. And by the end of her stay, he'd had _two_ children.

_Did he not need a dam or sire for them?_

_Did he not reproduce with someone?_

_Or did he, but stay clothed...?_

_Why am I thinking about this?!_

Apparently, it was easy to forget about a body when under your own knife, when it was a cadaver. It was something different, _completely_ , to do the the same when that person stared back, with hatred and pain. 

He started to try to buy her cooperation with clothes, but she always ripped them to shreds, and left them on the floor, standing amidst them with a glassy grin on her face, almost too far gone to save. 

sans started helping her, then.

And while he shared his father's confused wariness about what to do with a naked, teenaged test-subject, one half-crazed and ready to die, he wanted her out of there, too.

Part of it was pity, she knew; the other part had been his recently-born baby brother...

But when she started running, the surface pitch dark with night, she forgot about sans, about his brother, about clothes. She forgot about the tank, or the knives, or the injections, electric shocks.

She even forgot about Gaster; the way he spoke, how cold his touch was, how he looked at her with equal parts of hate and hope, how he was ready to treat her like less than an animal to get what he wanted...

She never looked back, after flashing him that last pearl, made with trembling fingers, her defiant smile almost hurting her cheeks.

She forgot.

* * *

 And there he was, right where she'd heard the sound, and she had no choice but to remember him, now.

He was seated in a high-back office chair, his legs crossed. He had one elbow upon his knee, propping his chin up, while the other was loose at his side, swaying slowly.

She watched it, and saw that he was hold that rod, again.

And suddenly, she realised _why_ she was allowed a pool, and had drastically underestimated Gaster's capacity for torture.

She was floating on her back, the water keeping her in its place as she breathed it in. She couldn't move, even if she tried, but she did feel that fear snake through her, and she kept very still.

When her eye met his, he smirked. He knew she was powerless like this, and that one move could easily kill her.

And yet he didn't move. He just smirked at her, waiting for her to go first.

For an excuse to make that move.

Undyne kept her mouth closed, though she couldn't control how fast she was breathing. Any pride that had been left within her was long gone, now, her brushes with death too terrifying to want to repeat.

Pride didn't matter if she was fried.

She needed to live.

So she said nothing, just kept his gaze, making sure she knew it was clear that she was scared, but she wasn't going to bother covering it up.

There was no point in it.

Not now.

Gaster then raised his head, his hand tracing symbols as his words shimmered above them, and she read them, too scared to do anything else.

 _'Are we now on the same page, Undyne?'_ he was asking.

“I dunno,” she confessed. “I dunno what book we're reading.”

She was amazed at herself, then, at how she managed to find the courage to say that, even if it was the perfect way to sum up her problem.

Gaster was, too. He nodded, his smirk easing a little _. 'You_ are _a Boss Monster, Undyne.'_

The words hovered over her, but she was so thrown by what they said that she almost wondered if she'd forgotten how to read.

“You think I’m… like _you?”_ she asked, her voice soft with confusion. “Because I'm _not_. I never was. _That's_ why you stole me from my own home? _Twice?!”_

Gaster seemed surprised that she hadn't known that, considering the fact that she'd claimed to know what had happened to the "others" he'd tested on, using what he stole from her.

If she'd eavesdropped enough to hear _that_ , then how did she miss the reasoning behind _why_ the experiment (there had only been one live test subject, though she thought it more) had failed to begin with?

All she'd heard was that it had gone wrong, and at least two people were involved. One died, and one was sick. She remembered, now, how easily she'd read his words, as angrily slashed into the air as they were. 

' _It's cost us only one life, one not even directly involved! But the_ actual _subject failed the experiment. It did not take, and it caused a lot of harm!_ How did you let this happen?!'

That was what she'd seen, and it had been enough to make her rush to hide, realising that she could heard those voices so easily because they were getting closer to F-1. 

By then, sans had gotten her out of the tank, but she had to get back into it, as that was how she'd been left. 

She'd said nothing, kept quiet about it for a while, but then cracked again when she discovered his intent to keep going, to take more and more from her, and use it to hurt more people.

Which, she realised, he'd never actually told her what it was that he was stealing. The ordeal was so painful that she'd passed out, and by the time she'd remembered to ask, he was distracting her with something else, and she couldn't think, much, anymore...

 _'You already knew that,'_ Gaster answered. ' _You are a good actress, now, Undyne! I hadn't expected that.'_

Undyne spluttered out a disgusted laugh. “Actress? I'm not acting. I'm scared out of my mind, I have no idea why you need me back, and if you want me dead, why am I still alive?”

Gaster waited until she was done, and when she was, she suddenly paled, realising that she'd just snapped at him, sassing him without even meaning to, and she shut her mouth, trembling.

Her eye went to that rod, and she swallowed the need to cry, unable to look away, waiting for it to be dipped ever-so-slightly into the pool...

 _'Hm,'_ he said, then _. 'I believe you, now. You're right. You know better than to lie. Not when your life is mine, now.'_

Undyne bit her lip, but she kept quiet, something he was impressed by.

She was serious.

She didn't want to die.

She wanted to live, but looked broken before he even started trying.

He wondered if he should feel resentment, but realised it would make his job a lot easier; her being obedient had made those first tests fly by, and he already had so many _more_ lined up, now...

 _'You're not going to try anything, are you?'_ he asked her. He looked serious, but Undyne was worried it was a trick question.

“No,” she answered anyway. “I remember what it was like when I rebelled. You really have me trapped here, Gaster. I...”

Her face fell, seeing someone else's for a moment, before she closed her eye. “I have nothing left. Not even your son will help me.”

Again, he was surprised. He hadn't guessed that she'd known about that, too.

Had sans told her?

It didn't matter. sans would not be a problem.

_'You'll cooperate?'_

She eyed the words for a long time, before she answered. “If I do, do I have _any_ chance of surviving? Or that something _good_ will come of this?”

Gaster sat up completely, now. She wasn't lying, there, either.

What was the use? Undyne was beat. She wanted to know her chances, so that she would try to remain alive, til the end - or let herself die, and quickly.

Gaster stroked his chin for a moment, before he answered. ' _There is always a_ chance _, Undyne. You have always proven stronger than even you think. For all I know,_ I _might end up helping_ you _!'_

He laughed silently, but Undyne did not. She felt sick, the very idea of something of his doing strengthening her was a joke, and he laughed at it.

At _her_.

But Undyne noted that, when he'd said it, his fingers had hesitated over the symbols for a moment, as if wondering if he should phrase it that way. And when she did, she realised why he wouldn't want that, and why he would laugh it off.

Because there might very well be a chance of that, and by accident, too.

It was a crack in his armour, proving himself to be unsure of this situation, himself, but it was a crack he'd made, himself, left open long enough for her to see far more than he'd _ever_ wanted. He mended it once he saw it, but it was too late; she'd seen it.

Undyne quickly made sure not to show her thoughts upon her face, which was easy, as even though she now had that tiny speck of hope, it really was just a spark, and they both knew that she would die here.

Gaster noticed, and the smirk returned. He stood up, startling her, especially when he lifted the rod and placed it against his shoulder like a baseball bat.

Undyne watched him, paling, again, but he made no move toward her.

 _'You are to obey what I ask of you,'_  he told her, and she closed her mouth and worked on memorising every word she saw. ' _You will not try to escape. This pool is a privilege, one I’m gifting to you, to give you a fighting chance, but I can easily take it away, and throw you back in_ there _.'_

He gestured to the tube, and she shuddered.

_'There will be staff here, every day, to clean this hangar at night, while you sleep in this pool, in the closed off area to your left; it's deeper, there, and there are no lights, save the lights from the water.'_

She nodded, actually hoping to explore that.

_'Do not talk to them. If you hear them come in, do not swim up. Make sure they think you're asleep, if you already aren't.'_

This was a really long was of simply saying, “shut up and hide”, but she nodded, again, anyway.

_'If anyone tries to talk to you, do not come out. No matter what you hear or see. During the day, we will be doing the tests. At night, you sleep and regain your strength, and that means keeping to yourself. Agreed?'_

“Yes,” she agreed, her voice hoarse.

She felt like she was signing her own death pact, but she had no choice. She did want to survive, and she would fight every day to keep on living.

As long as she could hold out, anyway.

_If it meant seeing that face at least one more time, I'll fight until I'm dead..._

_'Test won't start until you're fully healed, which should be in a week. If you're not by then, I’m sorry, we're going ahead, anyway. But I will make sure this pool remains perfect for you. Use this week to get acclimated to your new home. Use these days to see to your health and exercise, and these nights to sleep and heal. I can provide you with books, or a radio. You may also, based on behaviour, request any kinds of clothes that you wish.'_

“Really...? Can I have... a radio? And... maybe swimsuits?” she asked, unsure. “Or some kind of waterproof clothes? I don't mind being naked when hidden from all views, but...”

She watched him when she said that, and he nodded; that _was_ the only privacy she would get.

She thought. He still had yet to mention cameras.

“But when tested on, I'd prefer clothes. Clothes that can also breathe? For my gills?”

Gaster already had something in mind. ' _Done_ ,' he agreed, twirling his finger rather lightly. ' _I'm rather pleased with you, Undyne; you're acting like a far more intelligent version of the naïve you we'd all gotten to know so well.'_

Undyne smiled grimly, feeling no mirth, but she said nothing. She let him have the last word – another sign that she'd either matured – or was shattered.

Even she wasn't sure which.

Gaster swung the rod, and watched her wince and almost float backward, her eye widening with fear. He decided to hide it, for now, seeing no reason to keep it out, not if she was being this docile.

When he did, she seemed to calm, and he nodded, understanding. 

“Thank you,” she repeated, meaning it, if only a little.

She wanted to add more, ask him why he would _ever_ think _her_ to be a Boss Monster like him, and could prove it, but...

Nothing came out. 

So, he said _,_  ' _You're welcome,_ ' proving her right about the last word, and had barely managed to hide her eye rolling up before he turned on his heel, waved to the two guards flanking the locked doorway, and unlocked it, taking the guards with him.

Leaving her completely alone...

Undyne immediately sank to the bottom, shaking so hard that she saw bubbles come up from her bloody hospital gown. She pulled it off over her head, letting it float to the shallow end, and looked down - and breathed out in relief: she at least still had underpants. She then reached up and freed her other eye, too.

When she touched it, she felt tender, destroyed skin, but the water was clearly taking care of that, too, and she knew it would smooth out, soon enough.

Her eye was gone, and she would be disfigured for life. But at least the scar will be neat and tidy...

She watched the bandages float to the surface, too, feeling lighter in just her underwear. She swam deeper, finding that, within the enclosed, almost egg-shaped deep end, a kind of private spa – in the crudest sense of the word. There were rounded planks placed in a half-circle around the very end of the pool, where she could sit or dress.

 _Or eat,_ she hoped, realising she'd forgotten. The water provided much, but food was not included. Hydration, definitely -  the best. But no food.

The deep end was rather nice, and all in all, the pool was pretty big, especially compared to that damned tank. She shuddered, her hair floating around her face, and she felt tears rise up from within her, the feeling so heavy that it actually rendered her breathless with her first sob.

She cried, exhausted and in pain, and she stared up at the surface of this impossible wonder, the water so much like home that it hurt as well as healed. She cried, because this was all she had left that remained of herself, and soon, even that would be gone – alongside her mind and soul.

 _Throwing the dead goldfish out with the bowl_ , she thought angrily, gritting her teeth, _after shaking it too hard, because whoever had the bowl had no idea what else to do with it, finding no real practical use in it, save killing it and opening it, to see how it worked..._

 _That_ was Gaster.

She cried, lonely, already, her hands floating away from her, above her, fingers tangling into her hair, blocking her vision, her already-limited vision, her whole body as balled up and as small as possible.

Undyne cried, most of all, because she'd left someone behind, and she'd been captured while distracted, unable to tear her eyes away. She'd surfaced, wanting to finally break the ice, to admit how much she appreciated the company, even without knowing she was there, had been there several times, and planned for several more...

…and then felt herself yanked out of the water, gagged and chloroformed, before she could even say hello.

But she'd left behind that same danger that had grabbed her, and hoped there'd been some sound, some warning, some _anything_ , that meant no harm had spread, like residue, after she was torn from her own home...

Now, she'd never know.

sans would never get that echo flower. Hell, it was probably too late to even try to send that warning, but she still needed to try, anyway...

She sunk to the very bottom, pressing her cheek against the cold metal of the pool, and stayed there, but it didn't calm her tears.

She cried, until she'd tired herself out and passed out.

She cried, for the new life she'd _almost_ begun, and with _someone else_ – and her real life that had ended, the second her world went blank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. Slow burn was a correct assessment.


	10. A Brother's Keep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the mass of edits to this chapter, but it was a mess and riddled with plotholes, and I didn't want to delete it.

The second he was out of sight, sans broke into a run, knowing the gaff was pointless, as the cameras would catch him running, anyway, but he didn't care, because this time, he had nothing to hide, and knew he was _allowed_.

sans didn't pretend that he understood people, let alone family. He found their actions confusing and hard to follow, either going by him too fast, or moving too slow for him to bother to wait up for.

He'd never, in his whole life, felt this way about his little brother.

He swiped his card and the doors to a smaller room, just around the opposite end of the hangar, but not quite a bedroom, and he walked in, locking the door behind him.

Before he could blink, he felt himself pulled away from the door, then being hugged, and suddenly, everything he'd been using to try to keep brave died, and he hugged his brother back tight, envious that he could cry – and sans could not.

“I MISS YOU SO MUCH, BROTHER,” Papyrus said.

sans looked up at him, eyeing him closely.

Gaster promised that he would keep Papyrus taken care of – the _good_ version – and given all he wanted and needed.

Except sans, of course. That, Papyrus was not allowed to have. Otherwise, sans wouldn't do any work to make up for any failure of his own - he would just take Papyrus and run for it.

The room _looked_ like a normal bedroom, sans noticed, seeing it each time and yet still amazed by it, by how startling the illusion was. It had been built within such a short time, but since it was done so _well_ , it made it very easy to forget where they actuallly were.

And that was the _point_.

When Gaster found out that sans had helped Undyne escape, he _had_ used sans like a punching bag. But he hadn't told Undyne that there was more to it than just that, this time.

Last time, Papyrus was a baby, safe with Gaster. It would take at least a decade for him to be old enough for his own home in Snowdin. There, for another five or six years, he grew up raised by everyone there, and he then returned the favour, content in watching over the people within Snowdin, and deciding to become a one-monster police-squad against humans.

And all for Gaster: a father he knew little of, and thus loved greatly, and wanted to make proud... and perhaps be seen...

But when sans - with some added help - broke Undyne out, Gaster punished sans – but also threatened to punish the then-babybones Papyrus, who'd done nothing wrong, and knew nothing about it - and never would.

Indeed.

Gaster did it to make sure that sans knew that, _this_ time, his father wasn't fucking around for fucking around's sake. He knew sans needed to stay in line, especially when they'd found her, again, and this was a way to encourage that.

After having fifteen free years spent keeping sans in line, this time, it was  _Papyrus_ who was imprisoned within Deltarune, in one of the small offshoot rooms within the same hangar as F-1, used as a hostage, as _collateral_ , to keep sans well within that danmed line.

Gaster _was_ Papyrus's father, and _did_ make the room as inviting as possible. But even with this visit, one they planned to make longer with sans's three hours of free time, and use it to walk around the building. It helped Papyrus feel less closed in, he confessed almost right away that was already quite lonely and bored. 

Papyrus claimed to have no problems _save_ that lonesone boredom, having spent the weekend, here, and tried to reassure sans that it was okay: "I'M STILL LEARNING MY WAY AROUND HERE."

But sans was no fool, and knew it was starting to eat away at him. The days, so few, already dragged on, and with each hour spent here, Papyrus was clearly starting to lose his hold on what made him happy.

He needed to get out of there. He never belonged there in the first place.

sans was horrified that it meant that Papyrus was next.

The room was big enough, comfortable and private, and it was actually pretty nice, considering. But there were no windows, the ceiling stretched too far up above Papyrus when trying to "sleep". He rarely saw _anyone_ , let alone sans – and _least_ of all, his father. He'd barely met anyone, yet, because once people were told that Papyrus was out of his room, they hid.

Even Gaster didn't want Papyrus to know what was done here, but forgot how gossipy his staff were.

“THEY FOUND HER, YES? THAT'S WHAT I HEARD. IT _IS_ WHY I'M HERE, RIGHT?

ans jumped, surprised out of his train of thought, and saw Papyrus looking at him keenly from across his round little dinner table, sitting in creaky old chairs. He'd forgotten that, despite Gaster's attempts, sans refused to lie to Papyrus about this one detail: _he_ was here, because _she_ was here, and he deserved to know that.

“yeah,” he agreed. “she's back.”

Papyrus seemed to be trying to adjust his thoughts, or word them properly. “WELL... WASN'T THAT THE DEAL? SHE COMES BACK, DOES HER JOB, AND I AM FREE?”

sans hesitated. That wasn't the deal, but a lie. Papyrus would be here for as long as Undyne _lived_ , to be used as collateral against sans. Once she died, though, sans was terrified that Papyrus would _not_ be freed - but take her place.

“that's what i was told, too, bro," he lied. "but he hasn't said anything like that, just yet. it _is_ pretty soon, still. that, and i could come visit you during idle working hours, today." He smirked. "and i don't intend on leaving until _forced_ to. i intend on _hangar-ing_ along for quite a bit, with my best sib in the entire world."

Papyrus smiled weakly, nodding, but it faded so fast that sans tensed, waiting for him to beg for his freedom, to talk to their father, to find _some_ way to get free, or to ask what "sib" was referring to, instead of just "brother".

However, Papyrus said, “I WORRY ABOUT HER, THE PRISONER. IT MUST BE TERRIFYING, BEING BROUGHT BACK HERE AFTER SO LONG, HAVING GROWN USED TO THAT EASE OF FREEDOM, ONLY TO BE BROUGHT BACK HERE, TO SUFFER IT ALL OVER AGAIN, AND KNOWING SHE WILL CERTAINLY DIE."

sans knew he was also partly speaking for himself, and felt a stab of guilt. He was trying the best that he could, all while feeling Gaster breathing down his neck, and it took more effort than it looked.

“he's looking for any excuse to kill me,” he confessed.

Papyrus frowned. “WHY?” he asked. He still had trouble believing that his father was a bad person, because to Papyrus, he never was. Therefore, the idea of him killing sans seemed unlikely. Even _after_ hearing people whisper things that made him feel sick...

“i know too much and do too little.”

Papyrus looked down, unsure of what to say to that. He was not being mistreated, here, but being treated as a kind of gues. He was given as much as he wanted, if possible to find. The bedroom section was already very cluttered with things he'd demanded back from Snowdin, and it looked very easy to get lost within for hours, maybe days.

Papyrus would eventually sometimes _intentionally_ mess it up, just for something to _do, w_ aiting to go home, for things to work out, for his older brother to come home, too...

“i'm sick of it.”

Papyrus raised his empty - yet emotional - eyes, and saw it to be true. sans was finally at his limit: seeing Undyne again, watching her injure herself and still try to kill him; screaming at him for being a coward, before she'd fainted, the blood loss too quick. He'd watched his father's guards toss her about like a toy, all while she bled to death.

And nobody cared, except sans, himself.

“TELL ME,” Papyrus suggested, when sans couldn't continue. “THIS DAY HAS MADE A LOT OF PEOPLE STRESSED OUT. AM I ALLOWED OUT EARLY, TODAY?”

“yeah, because I’ve had enough,” sans answered.

Then, he explained what Papyrus had missed, including what broke his heart the most: saying no to Undyne.

It was a big deal, because this time, he not only explained to Papyrus what he'd missed, but he'd also found himself unable to lie about what led up to it, anymore. He just blurted out what had happened before - and after - Papyrus was born (but not about the experiment that failed, and who'd been involved in it), and what Gaster had done, to himself - _and_ to Papyrus. 

Papyrus listened, his eyes dark like always, yet somehow still able to express quite a plethora of emotion. He accepted everything being said, despite his heart telling him it didn't match up with what he thought he'd known. He did this, because he knew that sans did lie, and lied to him, a lot, this was not one of those times. He could tell, and he stayed quiet, his eyes darker, still.

sans envied him, because _those_ eyes could also shed tears.

Maybe that was the balance: Papyrus got to cry, while sans had visible, bright white spots, instead of emptiness.

Papyrus could get away with it because he was jovial, and, while not _pure_ , was a very, _very_ good person, and it showed even behind empty eye sockets. It was why he was so easy for Snowdin to love him, and for him to love Snowdin back.

And yet while sans could talk about things that made him happy for hours, even with those spots of light, people still tended to shy away, sensing something off about him.

He loved Papyrus, but also envied him, too.

Even this, this _prison_ , this _jail cell_ , looked alluring to sans, wanting to lock himself within it and die long before anyone found out.

And then, Papyrus could be free and happy, and his guilt would be absolved.

_Someday..._

When he finished, Papyrus understood. He looked shaken, deeply conflicted, as he usually didn’t like to break rules unless certain it harmed no one, and certainly not when it could upset their father, whose image was slowly starting to become clearer for Papyrus.

“nobody's gonna care,” sans told him. “they know me. if they see you with me, they won't bother. besides, we'll go around outside, first, so it's moot.”

Papyrus hesitated, but nodded. “OKAY, YES. I WOULD LOVE A WALK.”

sans agreed, and as Papyrus started to gather up what he wanted to bring, despite the walk being short, sans's mind was in thousands of places at once, struggling to choose _one_ , _just_ one, one was _all_ he needed...

He debated going to F-1, concerned about Undyne, despite himself. He hoped they'd taken up Papyrus's suggestion, and given her something familiar, to give her something that provided comfort, so that perhaps she would be calmed and easier to work with once the week was over.

sans wanted to check.

But he knew that now was _not_ the time.

When Papyrus was ready, sans smiled up at him and crooked his own arm, making Papyrus chuckle; sans was way too short to be offering an arm, and it amused them both.

_like old times, when i got to visit him in snowdin..._

_…will they ever come back...?_

The old times hadn't been perfect: struggling with an obsessed father; having no mother to take care of them to bridge the gap; and several times, as children, they went to bed hungry, Gaster too busy to bother even having food sent to them, or even let sans bring food over with him when he was allowed free time...

And all of that was _before_ Gaster demanded more and more of sans's time, away from Snowdin, where his own brother was raised by people sans, himself, barely knew. He'd never got to live there until Papyrus did, and only rarely, if his father could spare him...

 _None of that would've happened, none of this would be happening, if I’d just killed Undyne like he'd asked me to,_ he sighed. _Because she discovered she'd inadvertently hurt two people, and one died, and she couldn't take it..._

_But no, I had to help her. I had to provide the means for her. I had to save her._

It was sarcasm, sure, but it was also true. And it led him to the truly unfair crux of this entire situation.

If Gaster had just left Undyne alone, and had been a _real_ monster, and just tested everything on himself, _none_ of this would be happening.

He knew his father was a Boss Monster, and never understood why he never at least tried anything using his own organic materials. 

And it had been clear, even back then, that Undyne was not a Boss Monster at all.

There _was_ something interesting about her - and within her - but even sans knew that it wasn't a Boss soul.

It should have been that easy, if Boss Monsters were the key to getting their lands back – to _share_ , not _hoard_ , like the humans were doing.

Why did Gaster need to keep using someone he damn well knew  _wasn't_ a Boss Monster? He stubbornly refused to admit otherwise, or why he felt otherwise, even when the numbers were right in front of him...

Something had happened back then, something that had convinced Gaster that there _was_ more to Undyne than even _she_ knew, but sans didn't know the whole story. He knew only a bit more than Undyne.

 _It_ was _wrong,_ he realised, even as he now listened to Papyrus chat, and felt his brother’s voice calming his heart and soul, now, too.

 _It was wrong to keep Undyne here, to use Papyrus to keep me hostage, to do_ any _of it..._

sans had wanted no part in it, but already was, by denying Undyne the help she deserved.

_But then..._

sans looked up at Papyrus, and he felt his heart clench.

But then, _Papyrus_ would be the one tested, and sans couldn't have that. 

He knew what happened to that monster. He couldn't have anything like that happen to his baby brother. He would hate himself, forever, but he could not – and _would_ not – give his brother up.

No matter how much pity he felt for Undyne, Papyrus meant more, and it _was_ cold – but still no less true.

 _I'm sorry, Undyne,_ he thought, mentally saying it to the Undyne he'd seen when she'd started waking up _._

_I'm sorry you were found, that you are so human-like, that you survive impossible odds, because all of that makes you irresistible to him..._

_I'm sorry you have to die, so that Papyrus can live..._

_But he's been left alone for fifteen years. Now, that's over, thanks to you –_ and _me._

_You both just got here... but you're the one he wants, not Papyrus. He's just threatening me..._

His heart suddenly hardened at that thought, despite knowing that the two situations were not even close to being parallel.

But again, all he could see was Papyrus.

 _I'm sorry, Undyne_ , he thought. _I'm sorry..._

But even he knew that his apologies were worthless.

**END OF PART ONE**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? Slightly-redeemable sans!


	11. A Quiet Place

**PART TWO: DO YOU FEEL THE SAME?**

Alphys was outside of the infirmary, waiting for Toriel. She was shivering, her face pale, and her eyes wide and glazed over, but she kept herself on her feet by holding the handle of her cart. Her eyes were unfocused, desperate to unsee what they'd just cleaned up, something that ran right alongside the last time she saw a bloody floor like that...

Toriel threw the last bag into the spare bin they'd been given, to throw all of the items contaminated into, making sure everything was caught. Her own eyes were glassy, her face carefully blank, as she desperately tried to forget the last time she'd smelt this blood, praying to whatever, if ever, to prove her wrong.

Alphys only snapped out of it when someone called her name. She raised her head, her eyes blurry but slowly focusing, and found it was the same person as before; she figured they were infirmary staff.

Not so. “Is Tori still in there?”

Alphys nodded, but just as Toriel came outside, cart first, and joined them, breathing a sigh of relief to be out of that room. When she saw that Alphys had company, she looked over.

“What now?” she asked them. “Go to the office?”

“F-1.”

Toriel's eyes flared, darting quickly over to Alphys, before they went back to the messenger. “But isn't that hangar currently under use by the Doctor? Should we not clean the rest of the building, first, and then come back?"

“Yes, but he's done, and asked me to get you. Once you're finished in F-1, you can have lunch.”

Alphys was stunned. _Lunch? Was it really close to 0330? Already?_

Toriel was not. “And after that?”

“Back to F-1.”

Alphys looked up, confused, and saw that Toriel wore the same expression. “But if we've cleaned the hangar, then why return to it? Will it need re-cleaning after lunch?”

The messenger shrugged. “I guess so. That's just what I’m told. You have to be there by two.”

And with that, they ran off. Neither Toriel nor Alphys ever saw them, again, and Toriel privately wondered if there was a reason for it.

But that hadn’t happened, yet. Now, they had work to do: F-1.

 _He did it_ , she thought, dismayed and stunned. That's why he wanted us out of there.

_She's back._

She felt a tug on her sleeve, and looked down to find Alphys staring up at her.

'Do we go? What's wrong? Is it very bad?' she asked.

Toriel bit her lip, then said, “I don't know. I won't know until we get there.”

Alphys nodded, but again, she felt strange. Within her, as they started walking toward F-1, she felt both frightened and spellbound by what she'd experienced in that room.

She'd mopped up blood, before. They all had. It wasn't just the blood, and it wasn't just the location.

It was what that blood smelt like, because it went _beyond_ the usual (if there were such a thing) smells.

It felt... _personal_. Like she really had been the one hurt, who bled.

The closer they got to their usual routine, the more Alphys discovered that, without her even noticing it, their routine had been severely derailed, in mere hours.

Deep down, she wondered if she would ever have that routine, again, and already knew the answer.

 _But in which way?_ she demanded of herself, her eyes focused ahead. _What is changing? Why is it changing, and how did it happen so quickly?_

Did it matter? Nobody ever _saw_ Alphys, so even if she worked poorly, she knew everyone had no clue who to blame - and no one would dare blame Toriel. So even if their routine had changed, it truly only mattered to Alphys.

Except it mattered to Toriel, too. Because as they got closer, the scent grew stronger, and she almost started to weep, furious at Gaster and knowing exactly why he'd assigned her to this room.

To torture _her_ , too. To see the child she'd helped save, returning as an adult to this trashbin of a workplace. It was an insult, to show her that he knew she'd helped last time, too, and this was the penalty.

 _But why Alphys?_ Toriel then wondered, glad for the distraction. Why would he need Alphys to see this all, to see Undyne, to see first-hand the kinds of things he'd done in the past – and would continue to do in the future?

Alphys was an orphan, one damaged by science; was this some kind of punishment for her, to see someone _else_ imprisoned for “the greater good”?

 _I better be wrong about her,_ she added, hoping those forces were listening. _She better not be who I thought she was._

_I don't want to be right._

_Change my mind._

But then, she swiped her badge, before Alphys, and the doors yawned open as usual, so far so good.

Until they actually looked inside.

It was warm, warmer and almost damp, and they slowly came in, pushing both carts back against the door, lacking the space.

And the pool took up almost all of it.

Alphys was enthralled by this. She didn't grab anything from her cart to get started; she just walked away from it, looking around at the marvel that had been installed in such a short time (only a weekend).

Her eyes fell on a tube-like tank, standing up and empty, but looking threatening all the same. She didn't like looking at it, so she looked back to the pool – and gasped, her hands going over her mouth.

It was definitely a pool, and of water. But she recognised that water, knew exactly where it came from, and was amazed by it.

If anyone else knew there was water from Waterfall here in the building, they would all flee.

Alphys knew better, for... _reasons_. It was why she'd recognised the water, at all. She stepped as close as she dare – two feet away from the edge of the pool – and held her hands to her chest, smiling.

Toriel watched her, absolute dumbfounded by her sudden mood shift. When her eyes followed Alphys's, she recognised the tank – and winced – but also recognised the water.

And Alphys, who was supposed to know only as much as the rest of the general populace, had just run over to where a whole pool of it stood, without any worry or fear. She looked happy, and when she turned back to Toriel, her eyes were glowing.

She couldn't explain any of it; it was as if being in here had eased her terror, both sights and smells washing away the ones from before.

They smelt like quiet, like peace, like a soothing, gentle mist of all of those, tickling her nose from where she sat, eating her lunch slowly and with her senses focused only on that...

Toriel stared at her, struck silent by her friend's transformation. She realised that there really was quite a bit that Toriel simply did not know about Alphys, and it almost hurt to think about.

Alphys started talking, so excited that she even squeaked a few times, trying to get the words out, too. 'This is from Waterfall! That water! The temperature is almost _identical_ , even with the heavy heat from some of these generators...'

She was signing as she walked around, to gesture to where she meant as she spoke, and Toriel nodded, hoping she would go on.

Because Alphys had yet to catch that she'd just confessed to breaking the law, and Toriel wanted to know why.

Toriel's eyes went up to the camera – and paused.

She didn't see it.

She looked around, absently keeping Alphys in her peripheral, to know what she was saying, but she still looked hard, and found none.

What was _that_ about? Gaster was never that careless.

Alphys hadn't known that, and had forgotten that she needed to edit her words lest someone saw and understood them – and put it together like Toriel just had.

'…and it's amazing, how he's engineered a small kind of ecosystem in here, to keep the waters lit and fresh, and...'

Alphys's hands slowly lowered, noticing Toriel's expression, and she paled, confused.

“Alphys,” she said softly, walking over to her. She stood beside the tube, and Toriel took hold of one of her arms and led her away.

Alphys kept her eyes on Toriel's, scared, now, so that when they were standing near the pool, she was shaking.

Before Toriel said a word, Alphys did. 'I just confessed that I've been to Waterfall.'

She signed it shakily, as if bringing stammers to her words, and her eyes filled with different tears.

'He saw it,' she finished, before she covered her face, trying to stop her tears.

Toriel knelt down in front of her and held her arms out, and Alphys went right into them, beginning to sob.

“You did,” Toriel agreed, pitching her voice over Alphys's. “But there's no camera, here, Alphys.”

Alphys went rigid, confused.

“It's true, I checked. For whatever reason, he doesn't want a record of this...”

Toriel then added silently, _This time._

Alphys didn't need to know that. In fact, Toriel hoped she never found out the true purpose of this room, camera or not.

Instead, Toriel went on. “So you do go there,” she pressed, and Alphys nodded. “How often?”

Alphys weakly signed, with one hand, 'E-v-e-r-y d-a-y a-t l-u-n-c-h.'

Toriel blinked. “Alphys, where do you stay? How?”

Alphys had to pull away to explain this.

Slowly, she confessed.

* * *

The first time she'd done it, she did it from stress. She'd walked into the break room with her thermos and snails, and felt completely out of place. She took off, remembering that were was a True Lab pathway that led from the entrance to the Core, to the tunnels. She had an hour for lunch, and it took fifteen minutes to get there and back.

Those thirty minutes, however, were spent the first place she found an exit to: Waterfall.

 _Literally_.

The entrance was right under the second-biggest runoff area. She'd been so distressed that she'd missed the roar of the water, and got soaked as she crashed her way through it, coughing and spluttering by the time she landed on the tiles.

When she did, she found herself standing between the two most toxic water sources in the entire Underground.

And she'd just got soaked in it.

_And yet..._

And yet, as she walked a little bit more, she didn't smell anything off. She didn't smell an imbalance to the ecosystem, and saw no evidence of poisoned fish or small aquatic monsters floating around as proof, like she'd seen in all of those pictures.

It had been blocked off for at least fifteen years – probably more, if the problem was found as she moved in, and found out too late – and yet it looked rather... _tidy_. There was garbage, and it had even been pushed to the sides of the canal that ran toward more of Waterfall, then to Hotland, creating a wide pathway within the waters.

That wasn't something that happened naturally; someone was actively keeping it up.

 _None of those pictures were real,_ she knew, now.

Gaster _had_ been the one to say it; perhaps he was hiding something. No Leader was without their – pun intended – skeletons in their closet, but it appeared that Alphys had just discovered a _wet_ one.

It was quiet.

It felt peaceful.

Most of all, despite the fact that she was not an aquatic monster, it felt _healing_.

She still had several tender scars, some brand-new, that often weeped open if she strained; when she sat down, the water pooled over her crossed legs, soaking her all the way up to her waist, but she didn't mind.

She _couldn't_ mind; the moment the water touched those sore spots, she felt them go quiet, then numb. 

Alphys was shocked, but intrigued. She decided that this was the perfect refuge, and made several plans to return here.

That first lunch alone had tasted so good. She wondered if it was the privacy, the waters, or the small thrill of breaking the rules, just a little.

When she finished, she made sure she left nothing behind, but she also emptied her thermos (she drank it) and filled it with some of the run-off water, to take home for testing, later.

She got back to work completely dry; she'd taken another shortcut through Hotland, and by the time she'd reached the Core, again, she was mostly dried off. She did smell a little mossy, but whenever someone asked, she just held up her lunch and smiled weakly, and they all understood.

Nobody asked, and nobody found out about it – at Deltarune. She had indeed been seen in Waterfall, but not by cameras, or even Gaster.

It was how she met Metta.

* * *

Her hands dropped, leaving out a lot of it - Metta, what she started to... _do_ , eventually, after she believing she was truly alone and was done eating – but nothing else.

Toriel waited for her hands to drop, before she repeated it to Alphys, to make sure she understood. She said it slowly, clearly, and while Alphys did correct a few times, Toriel had it right. Alphys finally nodded, sniffling, and Toriel leaned back, thinking.

Toriel wasn't thinking about Alphys, now; she already knew that Waterfall had _never_ been toxic. She knew the reason why Gaster had invented that ruse, had made it law as Leader, and the reason was, she knew for sure, now, within the pool they were standing next to.

Then she circled back.

Maybe Gaster did know about those visits, and this was Alphys's punishment.

_Had he anticipated a happy reaction?_

_Had he hoped that she would confess her crime...?_

_Like she just did, now...?_

Alphys's eyes had caught something in the water, and as Toriel thought, she followed it, trying to figure out what it was: some kind of cloth, dirty and red in most places, as if partially dyed. Near it was a tangled up wad of gauze, also speckled with red.

Her heart started racing, then, her whole body flashing cold with fear. She turned around, surprising Toriel, and started making her way toward it, her hand out.

Toriel stood up and grabbed it, just before she touched anything, and Alphys jumped, startled.

'It's blood!' Alphys protested. 'Someone's hurt!'

Then, her eyes flared, and her own blood drained from her face. She staggered, but Toriel caught her, gently holding her up by her shoulders, calling for her with growing concern.

Alphys heard, but didn't listen.

Before, she hadn't really thought to make a connection like this: that if there was a live ecosystem here, then there was definitely something larger that lived within it.

When she added the bloody cloths, she started shaking, understanding the situation, now, completely.

'The person we cleaned up their blood was them was here _is_ here needs help _get help_ get _someone_ save her _save her save her save her save her_ \--,'

She was frantic, now, not even sure of what she was signing. Just that the words kept coming to her, and she signed them without thought. She tried to squirm away, to see if she could jump into the pool. Toriel quickly pulled her back, and Alphys started panting, her vision swimming with black spots, but she gritted her teeth and shook her head, knowing what it meant and needing to fight it, because... _because_...

She didn't know.

She'd stopped breathing, and had fallen into nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asthma sucks. Also, before you @ me in the next chapter: this time period is roughly adjacent to the 1960s, but with a bit more primativeness, as they're all isolated. However, that doesn't mean that Ebott is totally cut off, and when it comes to things like medicine, even if the monsters had very little use for it, humans did, and always kept it in stock. Therefore, while I have taken some liberties with the type used (I just wrote it as a super-basic version of what we have, now). But it's still period-accurate, and if any of you @ me I will scream. Just enjoy the damn story and quit fact-checking me!!


	12. Old Familiar Faces

Toriel had to watch her friend work herself up, had to watch her pale, her hands signing the same thing, now, barely legible, and was still trying to sign it as her eyes closed, her breaths caught, and she fell forward.

'Save her save her save her save her...'

Toriel laid her down on the floor of the hangar, knowing what to do like a pro by now, and she moved her arm under Alphys's neck, lifting her up as she twitched, choking for breath and going grey right before Toriel's eyes. She reached into Alphys’s apron, the front pocket, and pulled out what looked like a clunky, plastic L. She shook it, as her other hand crooked forward, and she used her fingers to quickly unlock Alphys's jaws, so that she could fit the end of the tube between her lips.

It was human medicine, a new kind that both races could use, and Alphys hadn't been able to afford it. When she'd been prescribed one on her way out of the hospital, she was too terrified to go up to the surface to get it, and left it in her wallet.

When Toriel found it, after Alphys asked her to grab her a fiver out of her wallet, she asked about it. Alphys had explained that she was too nervous, but even if she wasn't, she was too poor.

Toriel took it from her, and, ignoring her protests, had it filled. Alphys had cried with gratitude, and when they'd needed it, it saved her life, and she'd cried, again, shocked.

After that, with steady work, Alphys could finally afford it on her own, and when she could, she'd paid Toriel back. Toriel only accepted it because she knew Alphys needed some pride in her life, but Toriel was also touched by how insistent Alphys was, as they both knew she was rich...

She knew Alphys was out cold by now, but she still knew what to do. She did the best she could, and when she'd given one puff, it was only half at best. Alphys was still gasping, and she'd taken all of that half within her. She coughed, shuddering, but was still breathless, and she remained grey, her limbs going limp, her coughs slowing to missed breaths...

The second time, luckily, woke Alphys up.

After it had hit her lungs, she jolted, squirming against the floor and about to panic, confused and forgetting where she was, starting to hyperventilate...

But she felt her puffer go back to her mouth, and she sucked at it greedily, even before Toriel used it. When she did, Alphys felt it, and Toriel felt her own heart start to slow down.

With that last one, Alphys collapsed, shaking hard, and when Toriel had replaced it into her apron, Alphys was curled up into Toriel's side, still in shock.

It was then that Toriel suddenly realised that they were being watched, likely since Alphys started coughing.

Undyne was crouching behind the wall of the pool, her eyes – _no; eye,_ Toriel saw, shocked – glued to Alphys. She kept her nudity hidden, but she could still be seen from the shoulders up, and her hands clenched the lip of the pool.

She looked _terrified_ , shaking almost as hard as Alphys was, and barely remembered Toriel was there until their eyes met. Undyne flushed red, but was too scared to hide, now.

She'd heard them come in, as she'd been on one of the planks, trying to distract herself with finger-combing her hair, when she heard the doors open and saw the lights go on. She slid back into the water for a moment, before remembering that she was hidden.

She resurfaced and listened for a while, remembering her promise and knowing she was being watched...

But she'd heard movement, one that went around the tank, and Undyne hid, again.

Then, she heard Toriel's voice, and almost ran out of the pool to get to her. She didn't, not because of nudity, but because she knew there was a second person, there, but had yet to hear them, or know if they meant her harm.

And, she'd promised. She kept repeating it, remembering what breaking that promise would lead to...

She heard Toriel talk a few more times, including a name – _Alphys_ – before Undyne heard weeping. With it came a long silence, one that Undyne barely heard over the beat of her own heart, until Toriel repeated what Alphys had just signed.

Undyne's eyes – she felt it in her left one, too – fill with shocked tears, feeling her cheeks hurt, but without knowing she was smiling.

_It's her!_

_It's really her!_

_There's no way it's a coincidence...!_

She chanced to peer around the rim of the dome, but it was then that Alphys began to have her attack.

Two things happened, then.

Undyne did see her, and it was true – Alphys was the name of the monster she used to see at the abyss, almost every day, at the same time, to eat some snails and sip what was looked delicious...

Only now, she was choking to death.

Undyne found herself swimming up, then across – then into view, before keeping herself behind that wall, watching Toriel revive Alphys – which was now.

She'd just signed her death warrant, she knew.

_But if it means seeing her one more time..._

“Is she okay?” Undyne whispered, her eye going back to Alphys.

Toriel stared at her for a moment, but then nodded. “It takes a moment, after something like that. She's not conscious, yet.”

Toriel lifted Alphys up, so that she could hold her closer, to make sure she kept breathing upright, even if out cold. Undyne watched every move, her gaze sharp and terrified.

“She's gonna be okay, yeah?” Undyne asked.

“Yes,” Toriel agreed, not expecting their first conversation to be about Alphys. “But why does that concern you, Undyne?”

Undyne jolted at the sound of her name, her face paling as her eye met Toriel's, again. “I... I know her...” she confessed.

 _And that's why Gaster wants Alphys here,_ Toriel concluded sadly.

_Except... no._

If he _had_ , wouldn't he of already known that bringing someone – _two_ someones – who were sympathetic to Undyne, was a bad idea?

Or did he really see Alphys as that worthless, and just needed a slot to fill, and Alphys was already there?

It wasn't either, actually, but a third one, one they had yet to even consider, yet.

And only one of them was close to finding it out.

“How?” Toriel asked, her hand slowly brushing over her friend's cold forehead, wondering if they should risk the infirmary, despite it all.

“She sang to me.”

Toriel's head jerked up, but before she could ask for more, Alphys began to stir – and Undyne vanished, diving back under so fluidly that she barely left a ripple.

Alphys coughed softly, a few unshed tears trailing down her cheeks when she opened her eyes, feeling dizzy. Toriel rubbed her back, mentally calling Undyne back, to explain everything to her – and especially to Alphys...

But nothing changed.

Alphys held up one hand, but Toriel covered it. “Give yourself a bit more time,” she suggested. “It's okay. I’m here, and you're in my arms, okay?”

Alphys nodded, slowly starting to come back, and her eyes went to the pool, seeing only the side of it from where she was. She again used her senses, to bring herself back from that scary darkness.

When she breathed in through her nose, however, her eyes flared, and she sat up, quick as a rake being stepped on.

'I know that scent,' she signed, seeming to forget mere moments ago that she was dying in her supervisor's lap. 'it's like the blood...'

As Toriel watched, Alphys's eyes filled with tears. When she signed next, she started crying, again – but calmly.

'They were hurt _here_ , and died _there_ ,' she concluded, her hands dropping heavily into her lap.

Alphys felt so bereft, so _disappointed_ , that she never got to meet the person whose blood had smelt so familiar. She idly feared that it was someone related to her, somehow, and Gaster had kept them here, too, for added collateral, where none was needed.

Her eyes landed on the water – and her hands stilled.

Before Toriel could stop her, Alphys had pushed herself to her feet, and hobbled over to the edge of the pool, looking into it.

Like the waters of Waterfall, it looked black and fathomless, its surface shimmering with a soft glow that came from both it, and the lilypads she now saw floating...

…near those cloths. Those bloody _clothes_.

Toriel had watched her in silence, standing up, herself, but not moving. She wanted to watch Alphys, because she was starting to think that she _did_ know what this meant...

Alphys's fingertips touched the water, feeling it to be warm, moving around her fingers slowly, like spinning lengths of silk. It tingled, but before she could use her other hand, Toriel had pulled her back.

Alphys stared up at her, stunned, her hands held up.

When she saw that Toriel merely looked concerned, however, she relaxed a little.

“Alphys, this has been a hellish night for you,” Toriel told her, and Alphys nodded a little, rubbing her chest absently. “Do you want me to handle the rest?”

Alphys knew she needed to earn her gold. She did.

But she also had, over the course of her time, here, used only about a dozen sick days – if that – and felt bad even if it was just a half-day, like this.

But Toriel's question made sense; it really _had_ been overwhelming, _too_ overwhelming. She felt sick, and knew she needed a rest after her attack.

She started to ask Toriel if she was sure, but Toriel interrupted, covering her hands, again. “I know, my dear. Clock out, okay? We'll talk about this more tomorrow, and I’ll catch you up.”

Alphys lit up, but in a way an invalid does, when rewarded fresh air for the first time in years. She nodded, before she blushed – then hugged Toriel tight, sniffling.

“I know,” Toriel agreed, hugging her back with a smile. “It's okay. You don't need to worry about either. If you're up to it, clean your cart. But if not, I’ll do it.”

Alphys squeezed tighter, starting to cry, again, and for a moment, Toriel held her, noticing her inability to control it, and how tired Alphys was because of it.

 _She's already so fragile,_ Toriel sighed. _I wonder if he's trying to make her leave, by bringing her into situations that has her so spooked, already._

_What happens if I’m right about her? What, then?_

_Will he break the ruse if she discovers it?_

_Or does he plan on killing her with it?_

The scariest thing was her answers to those questions, and she never wanted to lead her friend into such a horrible end.

_She's kind, and gentle, and has but a bit of spark left within her. I can't imagine where she'd be, now, if she'd never been introduced to me..._

Alphys pulled away, breaking Toriel out of her reverie, and she used her sleeve to clean her face.

'I'll help you clean til lunch,' Alphys decided. 'Then I'll go home. Is that okay?'

“Go home, now,” Toriel answered, raising an eyebrow. “You just passed out. You're not fit to work. Besides,” she added, sighing. “I'm going to be here all night, I think. At least now I know that I can take my time.”

Alphys nodded; it was sometimes the case, that two people weren't really needed for the “cleaning” required from them, daily. Of course it wasn't just this one area; there were other rooms to clean, despite the major part being where they stood, now. Sometimes it was easier to split up, to make the job go by faster.

Alphys knew, now, that this wasn't going to be easy for Toriel to do alone, and she hesitated, despite how pale she was and how shaky she felt _._

'What if you get in trouble?'

Toriel smiled, her other eyebrow going up, too. “My dear, who are you asking this question to?”

It made Alphys smile, her shoulders lowering a little, and she nodded _. '_ I can't do the cart,' she said, regretting it. 'Too short.'

Toriel had indeed forgotten about that. “Then leave it here. I can take care of it. Or, I’ll just grab someone.”

Alphys again hesitated, her eyes going to the pool.

She suddenly remembered what she'd said, what she'd been signing, before she fainted.

'Save her save her save her save her...'

 _Who?_ she wondered, confused by her own hands. _Me? Why would I use third-person articles?_

But it was brushed aside when Toriel said, “I fared on my own for many years, dear. And I used to be in charge, remember? One little cart isn't going to break my back. And, no, don't offer - it'll be fine. I could use the exercise.

Again, Alphys smiled, before she hugged Toriel.

When Alphys pulled back, she looked over at the waters, the dome, the tank, and realised that if she didn't see it all today, she would definitely see it, tomorrow.

She had no idea how right she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for today. Don't you guys love it when I get sick and stay sane with writing?


	13. It's Been A While

Toriel waited. She was a patient monster, and knew how to outwait someone she saw still as a child, despite seeing a great deal of evidence proving otherwise.

As she cleaned, Undyne remained underwater, hugging herself and shivering, her eye wide and her mouth small.

 _That_ was _her_ , she knew _. I know what she looks like. I memorised it all._

 _And that's_ her _._

_But she... hadn't said a word..._

That was what was bothering Undyne. Granted, she'd never heard her _speak_ , but... she had heard her _sing_. She hadn't been lying about that.

 _Sign language,_ she realised. _She's... deaf?_

No, she wasn’t; Toriel had spoken to her, and she'd heard her.

_She's mute, then. Like the Leader, himself._

Undyne had never been able to associate sign language as something someone _good_ could do. She knew that was very unfair, but her life was also incredibly private, and didn't really venture beyond Waterfall.

Not since Gaster put the ban up.

 _But she sang!_ Undyne thought, shaking her head, her hair clouding around her as she did. _I heard her voice, I heard her sing. She was quiet, all soft and stuff, but I_ heard _her!_

Now that she – _Alphys, that's her name,_ she thought, smiling a little; she liked it – was somehow here, too, Undyne would simply have to wait til she came back, so that she could ask Alphys to sing for them, to _prove_ it...

Undyne's whole body flashed with an emotion she hadn't felt for a while: self-consciousness. She was a _mess_ , a one-eyed, anaemic mess, and didn't even have real clothes to wear, yet, save her own underpants.

She was not going back into that gown.

 _Shit_ , Undyne thought, suddenly forgetting where she actually was for a moment. _I didn't prepare for this, at all..._

Then, she slapped a hand to her forehead.

_Idiot._

_How could you prepare of any of this shit?!_

_You're already behind in health!_

_Look at you!_

And once the tests start, again, the health Undyne regained here would never return.

 _Ever_.

She had only a week to find some way to get out of here, and she knew she had no hopes of doing so without help.

That thought had her remembering something, and the fear it gave her brought her back up.

Toriel paused, hearing her, but then went on, still mopping the floor like always: _swipe left, swipe right, skid it down, hop it up; repeat._ It was a proven method for maintaining speed as well as accuracy as one worked, and she'd taught it to everyone.

Before Alphys, Toriel had been the fastest at it, but Alphys had had to prove herself worthy of this job, and beat her record within the first week.

Toriel wasn't even mad about it. She was impressed.

 _Alphys_...

Toriel was glad that she'd sent her home instead of the infirmary. She could tell Alphys was heartbroken as well as weakened from her attack.

_She had such hopes for this day, and everything has gone rather badly. And all before lunch._

Toriel hesitated then, only to consider if she should follow Alphys to at least her locker, to know that she was safe. It was only when she remembered that Alphys had a cane stored there, for this very reason, that she relaxed.

“Who is she?”

Toriel smiled and turned around, and saw Undyne sitting as she had before: her arms over the rim, but the rest of her hidden by it. Her face was pale, her bright red hair sticking to her and curling, making her look her true age – which sadly destroyed the illusion Toriel had held until then.

There was no mistake, now: Undyne was an adult, and not just in terms of age or body. She hadn't bothered to ask about the cameras, figuring that if she was going down, at least she got to see Alphys one last time...

“She's my co-worker,” Toriel replied.

Undyne sighed, resting her chin on her hands, where they laid flat upon the rim. Before, Toriel had treated her gently, seeing a sheltered child plucked from the only world she'd ever known, only to immediately have her life put at risk in a new one.

Now, with those words, she could hear the obvious “No” that Toriel didn't say, yet. She didn't have to; Undyne had seen it, already, in the way her face had looked when their first eyes met, and even now, as she mopped. She was pretending to be cheerful, to distract away from the fact that she was powerless, and wished she could save Undyne, but she had to think of her children, her _true_ children, above all else. 

Undyne knew that. And she respected it. It was why she was so defeated by those two words, in the first place: Toriel would never budge, no matter what.

So she tried to play along, hoping it would feel like a game and cheer her up, somehow, anyway.

“You know what I meant, Queeny,” Undyne sighed, looking to the side, where she'd watched _her_ – _Alphys_ – almost choke to death on her own breath.

Toriel had gone rigid when she heard that nickname, hearing the differences from when she'd heard it last.

Gone was the soft voice she'd come in with as a child, replaced by a loud, clear, and powerful set of pipes - ones equipped to scare of anyone she found in Waterfall, out. She was much taller, her face and body thicker, but still slender, and she looked a touch muscular, but the kind that didn't last based on metabolism, alone, and required a lot of work to maintain.

If she did get out, again, Toriel was certain that there would be no sedatives this time around.

“Her name is Alphys,” Toriel told her, going back to her cart and refreshing her mop. “I've worked with her here for fifteen years.”

Toriel watched Undyne's reaction at that, wondering if she could see the answer to her _own_ question in that eye...

Undyne looked shocked, blinking hard, and wondered if Alphys had begun her job the day after Undyne had escaped. It was such a huge coincidence, especially when Alphys started showing up at the abyss, to eat a meal, before sitting upon the tiles and just... watching, and enjoying it all.

She'd always smiled... and her eyes glittered, always, right before she opened her mouth to sing. She'd begun softly, uncertainly, but when she was left alone, she made it part of her routine. She'd miss a few days once Metta had met her, making Undyne feel _extremely_ jealous - but too shy to say a word to her neighbours.

Undyne knew that her neighbours were a family of three ghosts, who raised snails for food or races. She often snuck by to swipe the burnt ones for herself, and when she found a thank-you note, she kept at it. It was how she knew so much about them, but all without exchanging a word - just burnt snails.

One liked to possess things and used whatever it was harass their siblings until boredom, requiring a new thing to possess; the other – Napsta – enjoyed music, using a record player to take samples from several other songs to make a new one using magic. 

The third, Metta, loved music, too, but as a performance art, and loved the idea of being an entertainer for humans. They'd even chosen a gender, too, to make it easier for the humans, but...

 _It did_ not _go over well, but that was the thing with ghosts_ , she thought. _Nobody knows if they're monsters or spirits of dead Boss Humans from long ago, if such a thing existed, and trust was tricky..._

“Undyne?” Toriel called, the pause growing too long for her liking.

Undyne looked up, but just with her eye. She looked upset, almost haughty, but she nodded.

“What was it?”

“Thinking about home. Does she have a last name?” Undyne wondered.

Toriel hesitated, and Undyne noticed. She sat up, and Toriel quickly turned away, mopping the next area with pink cheeks showing under her downy fur.

“Hey,” Undyne said sharply. “C'mon. I have only one week to myself. Give me _something!”_

Toriel stopped. “What?” she asked carefully, her face going pale.

Undyne nodded. That had been her own reaction, too, after all. “Yep. I get a week to heal. Then I get used up, and die.” Her eye darkened. “And then used up til I’m dust. Maybe more after that, too..."

Toriel said nothing, so Undyne went on.

“I had a good life,” she admitted. “Simple and small, but mine. I don't even have _that_ , now, Toriel. I have _nothing_. And you _won't_ help me, so at least give me _something!_ _Give me this one thing, damn you!!”_

She was shouting, now, crying, but when she stopped, she lowered her head back down, covering it within her arms, trying to calm herself, to _breathe_...

Toriel bit her lip, then sighed. “I can't tell you that, because I actually don't know for sure. I have a hunch, but not the ovaries to see it through and find out for myself."

Undyne said nothing, but she listened.

“We have a lucky break, here, Undyne,” Toriel said, walking over to the pool and crouching in front of it, to be at eye-level. “Gaster _doesn't_ have a camera here. He didn't even have it hooked up, again, after these renovations. He took it out before he put you in.”

When Undyne looked up, Toriel pointed. Sure enough, the usual spot was gone, and no other spots were taken.

“It's gotta be a trap!” Undyne snapped, angry at herself for daring to hope. “He's a psychotic bastard, and we both know it! And he's a fucking smart one, too! If there's no camera we can _see_ , there's one we _can't_. Either way, _I’m_   _already_   _dead_ , so please, _please_ , Queeny...!"

Toriel reached up and covered one of Undyne's hands with her own. Undyne covered her eyes, but squeezed it.

“I want to know all about her!” she cried, her voice tiny and wavering. “I want to know, so that when _he's_ killing me, I can retreat into _her_ memory, so I can die calm, and soothed...”

“Don't you want to ask her, yourself?” Toriel asked.

Undyne smiled sadly. “Would I ever be allowed such a luxury...?”

“She'll be back at midnight tomorrow, Undyne.”

Undyne was too afraid to let that get past her walls, now. She doubted it. If Gaster was watching them, then he knew about her curiosity, and would punish her by taking Alphys away.

 _That is his favourite punishment, next to torture,_ she thought angrily.

“I'm serious,” Toriel insisted, and her tone had Undyne meeting her eyes, again. “I would love to tell you all about my dear friend as I work. But I want to know how you two met, first.”

“That's the thing,” Undyne said. “We've never _met_. I never spoke to her. I was about to... but I... got...”

She stopped, the blood draining from her face.

“Toriel, was she sent by him?” she asked, her voice low and thick. “Was she sent there to lure me out? Was she _really_ my siren...?”

Toriel was stunned. The look on Undyne's face was one she'd never seen before, but she still knew it well – and it brought tears to Toriel's eyes.

“No, dear,” Toriel said, holding her hand between both of hers, now. “Alphys is... many things. But _that?_ For _him?”_ She shook her head. “No. Her heart is too good. If you watched her, you know this, already."

Undyne was quiet for a moment, still scared, the assumed hurt and betrayal still washing up within her with every thought of her. She didn't want to doubt Alphys. She wanted to trust her.

Undyne _wanted_ to be able to associate such beauty _only_ with Alphys, so beautiful already, because she was in ways only Undyne felt _she, herself_ could see...

And all without even exchanging a word with her, save hearing her sing.

“Does...?” Undyne coughed, then tried again, trying to calm down. Everything was finally catching up with her, and she felt it all. “Did _he_ know about it?”

Toriel shook her head right away. “I honestly think, in _that_ instance, it was very, _very_ poor coincidence.”

“’In _that_ instance'?” Undyne echoed, resting her cheek against her forearm, the one still resting on the rim, her other hand being held.

Toriel nodded. “Yes. I'll explain, but first, I want to know how this all began for _you_. Do you mind telling me? As I work? If you need more time, I'll be back after lunch."

“Okay,” Undyne agreed, comforted by the promise of at least seeing Toriel, again. “But I confess: I’m starting to wind down. I'll do my best. But, please...”

She squeezed Toriel's hand. “Tell me tomorrow what you can't tonight. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, let alone the rest of the week.

Undyne paused, then just said it. "I know I’ll need _something_ to hope for, during the day. I don't know how these last days will be spent, but to have something nice, to keep me alive, to give me a reason to live--,.”

“Including her?” Toriel wondered.

"Yes," Undyne whispered, her eye wide and brimming with tears. "Especially her. _Only_ her..."

"Tell me?"

Undyne closed her eye, her face relaxing as she allowed her mind to drift to that one kismet day, a memory that always helped keep her calm...

“I was doing my rounds,” Undyne began.

As Toriel was back to the mop, Undyne spoke, and Toriel allowed those words to swallow her, and take her back to Undyne's one perfect moment…

_So far..._


	14. The Siren

Undyne had a daily, mental checklist, one that rarely changed, save adding variations that are indicative of the day being checked.

It hadn't been easy, though, to get back into the habit.

* * *

When she'd finally returned home, and managed to scrub every last speck of Deltarune off of her body, she was still shaken up. She was still young, sixteen, now, and had lost almost an entire year.

It had taken several weeks for her to be able to wake up and _know_ , without any doubts, that she really was home, and this _wasn't_ a desperate comfort-dream, one clung to desperately during long stretches of agony...

She spent most of it at the bottom of the waters next to her house and the Blook farm, burying herself under the wet, cloudy sands, forgetting to eat in her desperation to be soothed and healed, physically.

But not mentally.

When she'd been able to come out, admitting that she really did need to eat, she moved slow, sluggishly, her eyes faded and her body wasted away.

Her mind was... _bleeding_. It was the only way she could describe it.

When she'd stayed underwater, she could forget about time and space, focus only on the sounds and smells of home. Once exposed to the air, again, it was like her brain dried up, the second she was completely out of the water, and had cracked, in the places she thought most, flooding her whole skull with blood and ice...

It was only when she watched her hands open a familiar door that she came to. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light as she walked in, and when she closed the door behind her, she felt her legs give out, collapsing onto her hands and knees.

It smelt good. It _felt_ good.

This was also home, she knew. Her body needed _this_ home, right now, not the waters, not anymore; she needed air, and food, and clothes...

_Clothes...!_

_That_ had been amazing: to put clothes on, again, just simple, loose-fitting clothes, not the skin-hugging swim suits she was given to wear – and only if she behaved. She slid on _real clothes,_ then just stood in them, shivering with overwhelming relief and joy, before she dropped back down to her knees, holding her head in her arms and bursting into loud, enraged tears.

She felt thousands of years old: that each zap had aged her a hundred years; each hour in the tube another hundred; being cold and naked and alone, in a dark, mechanical room adding thousands upon thousands of years...

She wound up falling asleep on the floor of her little house, for hours. She'd _needed_ that sleep. It had been her first real sleep in far too long, and her body was so shocked, that she seemed to just short-circuit and shut down.

_Like a TV. Just fiddle with knobs and buttons, and the picture will clear up. Turn it off to let it cool down..._

* * *

Before she was kidnapped, she'd seen many newspapers and TVs, and had been envious of such an invention. Something able to project real images - not magical copies, but literal pictures that moved - was something that she _had_ to have.

It took her months, but soon, she had a TV, one she had salvaged, herself: an old black and white bunny-earred box, missing all but one of its knobs, the screen somehow completely intact. It took her days to figure out how to use it, but once she had it working, she was glued to it, fascinated.

During her abduction, and very rarely, at that, she'd caught more of those kinds of picture shows, though most were human. She had forced herself to watch the screen mounted upon a shelf above her, while lying in an infirmary cot and waiting to be tortured yet again...

_I can barely remember what those images were, let alone how or why. They saved my life, and I can't remember any of them..._

The images kept her alive, during the worst, her eyes glued to it while her body was cut into and her skin sliced off and her muscles and organs injected...

* * *

When Undyne woke up, it was a day and a half later, and she was thirsty as well as starving, now. She crawled, then pushed herself to her feet, remaining hunched over and shuffling, hugging herself from a deep, internal chill. 

She looked into her cupboards with dark pessimism, but was amazed to find everything as she'd left it. She'd thought she would be looted by humans while she was gone, but forgot about the ban. She also was ignorant of how beloved she'd been, and was never at risk of that, at all - unless by a human.

She pulled down a box of uncooked spaghetti and ate it raw, starting to weep, again. It was the most delicious thing she'd ever eaten, and she sobbed and sniffled over each noodle, smiling just a little. Still munching on her first handful, she looked and found a cup. She grabbed it and filled it with water from her faucet - it still worked, too - before sipping it, and it tasted heavenly.

For ten minutes, she remained leaning over her sink, hiccupping between each sip of water or crunch of pasta, crying with absolute happiness.

She was home.

* * *

It took a few weeks for her to get back onto her feet, spending little time outside of her home, save sneaking out only to swipe some burnt snails, once the cabinets were empty. She knew she was safe within her home, as when the ban happened, everyone living within Waterfall put their homes under layers of cloaking magic over them, just in case anyone tried to sneak in to steal anything - or hurt anyone. 

When word spread that Undyne had been stolen, those spells had been renewed, and given added layers, making sure Gaster found no one else, and had succeeded. While his lackeys ran around the place looking for more like Undyne, her neighbours usually just pointed and laughed whenever they saw them.

Nobody, however, went after Undyne. It would have been easy to - one just had to sit outside in the open for a while - but no one did.

Undyne never blamed them for this, as she knew that if Gaster had managed to steal _her,_ it also meant their strongest was gone, and they stood no chance, without her.

They _had_ to hide, and Undyne was just glad they were all safe.

Once her feet hand landed into the waters of her home's spongy grounds, the spells opened up to her, and _only_ to her; they'd expected her to come back, and made sure she was welcome. She saw everything was it truly was, and felt that delighted graditude.

There was no chance that she would be found, this time, she knew. It was why she'd hidden in her home for her entire recovery; they could slam right into her front door and even she wouldn't notice.

But it was another reason why she hesitated to come out, and she put it off for a long time. She'd grown up with a personal routine, one designed for protection and prosperity for her neighbours, and had yearned for it during the chaotic nightmares of Deltarune.

After pacing for several hours, she sat down at her kitchen table and wrote several lists of things she needed to catch up on, to clean up within the major sections that made up her home, before she had a general list.

She made lists for each major part, and started from the easiest, working her way up. She wanted to gain her strength back, but also knew that, after all she'd undergone, that it would take time.

She didn't mind. She wanted to keep busy.

So she did.

* * *

The abyss was last, because it was connected to the dump, and Undyne knew she had to fix that up, too, before she could enjoy the abyss, again. It was no small feat, but by now, it no longer looked daunting.

She again worked her way up, as it looked like someone had made a path through the start of the dump, veering off to the farm, then cycling back, but without cleaning anything on their way. It was a nice place to start, though she had no clue who was responsible (until much later, more kismet/coincidence/comedy).

Once she'd reached halfway, making sure her actions were all done under water when possible, she noticed... _something_.

She surfaced up to her eyes, and saw, right at the abyss, that there was a figure on the tiles 

A person.

Her whole body went cold with terror, going back under immediately and hiding, shaking and keeping her eyes closed, scared.

But when she surfaced again, the figure was gone, and she knew she was alone.

* * *

Undyne stayed away for quite some time, using shortcuts to finish her chores and avoiding the dump altogether.

By the time she'd run out of other things to do, she discovered that a year had already passed. She'd spent so much time healing, then cleaning, that she lost track, and when she remembered her birthday, she had an idea.

She knew she was being a wuss about the abyss, so she decided to tempt herself to make the effort: once each section was cleaned up, she would reward herself with the best choice item from the spoils. Most of the trash was separated by types, to make scavengers find what they needed easier, and it used to be cared for by everyone.

But when they'd all been isolated, while already isolated, they left it be, and a lot of homes were in need of repair - and the piles grew.

As soon as everyone had a chance to see Undyne for themselves, they start to emerge and follow her lead, like they had, before.

Therefore, by the time her birthday rolled around, she had her choice, and the job was done.

Undyne went to retrieve her reward, and found it just where she'd hidden it. She grabbed it, hiding it beneath her clothes before the sand beneath was spoilt. She then swam between the rows vanguards of trash, feeling accomplished and please with herself, proud that she'd done it, and had also had help, however unseen.

When she'd almost burst out from the water and land onto the tiles, she stopped, rising up, only up to her eyes, and she hid behind the nearest pile, one made of various cardboards, and peered around it.

The figure was back, and on the tiles.

She sank back down underwater and trembled, wondering why she had to have such bad luck, to be stolen again on her own birthday...

Until she heard it.

 _Singing_.

Beautiful, improvised singing, made of notes, not words, coming from above her.

From the figure on the tiles.

Beneath the water, she could see blurry colours, yellow and coal grey and teal, more yellow...

She wanted to see the person capable of such beauty, but was also terrified it was a trap.

Then, she remember what she had just given herself, and she grinned, pulling out an old collapsible telescope, with only one crack in the lens. She swam a little closer, extending it open, before floating onto her back and angling the lens just tilted enough to see—

_\--there!_

It _was_ a monster, one that looked quite lizard-like. She - Undyne judged for herself, and was glad to be right - was sitting on the tiles, her legs crossed and her hands in her lap.

Undyne could tell she'd been eating - the lunch bag made it obvious - but there was no garbage dropped into the water. A few crumbs, maybe, but all of her rubbish was buttoned back up into its bag. 

That meant a lot to Undyne: the fact that this person didn't want to litter. When she'd been chased, her hunters barrelled through everything, caring not about what they destroyed along the way.

 _This_ was a different type of person, altogether.

_But good, or bad?_

She was short, Undyne could tell, and plump, but it suited her, and it made her look... _soft_. Undyne looked closer, at her face, and saw a squat snout with a rather large overbite, her front teeth almost always visible.

And her eyes...

Undyne felt herself holding her breath, swallowing hard and looking closer.

Her irises were a colour that was almost the same as the whites of her eyes, but not perfectly; there was a darker, almost translucent line, there. Within it, her irises glittered, shimmering with multiple colours at once, like rainbow opal, and Undyne was stunned by their beauty; she'd never seen anything like it until now.

Her guest's head was bald, ending in pointy ridges, her skin thick and tough, and she wore glasses. She had a long tail, but she kept it wrapped around her, almost cautiously. 

 _She's... pretty_ , Undyne thought, feeling her face redden, and for the first time, in her entire life, found herself actually attracted to someone.

  _She's older than me, she looks older, but not by a lot, and she's... really pretty..._

As she thought this, the monster in question started singing again, her eyes focused ahead and on the falling waters before her, where an end was impossible to see. She smiled, and looked like she was being healed the longer she sat there.

Undyne felt herself heal, too, surprised that such a thing - or person - could have profound power over herself. She adored music – to her, music was water, and water was music – and knew what sounded beautiful, and what did not.

 _This_ singing was nothing like either options. It was almost genre-less, something so pure and sweet, needing a category of its own.

And yet, she knew she'd never heard it before, or by anyone else, after; each song was different.

Undyne was enthralled, her eyes wide and filling with tears, her vision splitting for a moment before remembering to close her other eye.

_This is someone special. This is someone really special..._

And in seconds, Undyne's heart was racing, aching, her eye glued to this visitor, right up until she disappeared behind the waterfall. 

When she came back the next day, Undyne was waiting.

And though she had no way of knowing it at all, or how significant it was, Undyne laid her heart within this siren's hands, and felt it safe.

For at least thirteen years.


	15. Why Must We Be?

Toriel could barely accept what she was hearing. Alphys? _Her_ Alphys? _The_ Alphys whose laughs were silent, making sounds only from deep emotional distress, but all of it nonsense?

“I never had the guts to tell her,” Undyne whispered. She was weeping, her words thick, but her eye was closed, her cheek resting against her arm, again. “I pined for her, for fourteen years, Queeny. But I was a coward. I was afraid to ruin the illusion. I was afraid I was leading myself to my end.”

Toriel flinched, saying it for her. “And, sadly, she has, but not on purpose, Undyne.”

“I know,” Undyne agreed, her voice soft. “I could tell the second I saw her face for real. But, Queeny, you're not accepting one major thing about her, and I don't get why.”

“Hm?” Toriel replied, dusting any surface in sight.

“She's not some pure child, Queeny. She's a woman.”

Toriel stopped, her eyes widening, and she stayed still, shaking a little. She then lowered her arm, and sat back down on one of the chairs, the ones attached to the small desk in the corner.

Undyne opened her eye when she sensed Toriel was close enough. “You said before, you said she was good, and implied she was pure and naïve.”

Toriel frowned. She had said the first, but had not meant to imply the latter.

Undyne could tell, so she went on. “She sang a _lot_ , Queeny,” she said, trying to put a different meaning into it.

“Yes, you did say, but I still don't think it possible.”

“I've known her just as long as you, even if we haven't exchanged a word. I've seen her..." Undyne swallowed hard, unexpected desire striking her, just from the mere thought of it. "I've heard... her sing in... _different_ ways... Using her hands... b-but..."

Undyne's ears burned, now. She knew that if she went on, she would also need to expose herself, and it made her voice go very, very soft.

"I saw her, _heard_ her sing, saw her hands speaking in a different language, but only one _she_ knew..."

Undyne shut her eye, mentally adding, _At first_.

"To bring music to herself, instead of outward, too... Y'know what... what I'm saying...?" Undyne hoped she did, because as shameless as she was, this was something near an dear to her heart. 

It sounded foolish, but when actually seen, put to the test, experiencing it alongside _her_... 

But Toriel snorted, interrupting her thoughts. “Are you trying to imply that Alphys... _helped herself_... at the abyss, are you?!"

The idea of that, to Toriel, was ludicrous; she'd never even seen Alphys look at anyone beyond fear, let alone know anything about Alphys's sex life. The idea of that sex drive, itself, sounded ridiculous, because Alphys was too shy to even listen to talk about it. She certainly never joined in, and not just because she was mute.

Toriel remembered every single time she'd asked her friend if she dated, or had crushes, or was pining for anyone. And every single time, Alphys had looked up at her like she'd just grown an extra head, the idea of it just as ridiculous to Alphys. 

To even try to picture Alphys doing such a thing, and in such a public place, too, made Toriel uncomfortable, and she _needed_ to laugh it off, because of course it wasn't true.

Undyne said nothing, her eye flicking slowly between Toriel's. Her own face was red, but Toriel's was scarlet. She watched Toriel inwardly dismiss what she'd been told, her own personal opinion of Alphys's chastity too ingrained to change. 

As Toriel tried to figure it out, all while avoiding the obvious answer, Undyne started to smile, a long, slow smile, all teeth and no lies. Toriel shook her head, but Undyne nodded.

Toriel went scarlet, covering her mouth and looking horrified. “Goodness, what a thing to tell me!" she cried, shielding her eyes with one hand and trying to hide. "The idea of Alphys doing something so raunchy in public...!"

"But she did. Does. Completely," Undyne replied, now finding this amusing.

Until, "Undyne, are you trying to tell me that you _watched her?_ And all while trying to insist that you're an adult, with actions like _that?!”_

Undyne paled a little, but only because she had another confession to make, and it embarrassed her more than her voyeurism had.

Toriel noticed, and when she peered closer, Undyne was glowering at her, her eye dim.

 _Begging_ her _not_ to ask...

But of course she asked. “Did _you_...? While _she_...?”

“The songs,” Undyne muttered. “They're... Some were just pretty... Just little songs she made up... The water always seemed to make her come alive, and eventually, she sang in _that_ way... she was revealing her deepest desires to what she thought was an empty sounding-ground."

Toriel said nothing, so Undyne went on, looking away, now. "I'm pretty sure that she didn't know that her songs changed, let alone that she was basically _howling_ her horniness out to me..."

Toriel chuffed out at that, though the meaning was lost on Undyne.

"And it... worked. It touched me. It stirred... my blood, too." Undyne's voice grew shaky. "So... I _may_ have encouraged her... to keep going... and I helped her, while helping myself, alongside her...”

“You _sang back?!”_ Toriel cried, the only conclusion to make.

Undyne buried her face into her arms. “She thought my responses were echoes of her own! And she had no idea how much power it had over her... _and_ me... And she _always_ started it, Queeny! She _always_ seemed to know when I was ready for her, because she somehow always knew to start just as I was settled, and..."

Her voice broke, and silenced her, trembling with embarrassment and regret.

Toriel had wanted to tease her, but she heard that note of hurt defeat within Undyne's tone, and felt a little guilty. She _had_ bullied Undyne into confessing, after all.

“Why don't you want to tell her?” Toriel wondered.

Undyne was quiet for a moment, stabbed by pain for a moment, her breath gone. She gasped, and her hands buried into her hair, tangling and tugging at it, finding the pain both physical _and_ emotional.

“What's the use, if I'm gonna die, Queeny? Why would I ever want to hurt someone as precious as she is to me? If I love her, and then die, it's _cruel_. It's _too_ cruel.”

Toriel gave her a moment.

Then, she repeated, _“If_ you love her?”

Undyne went still, eerily so, and she shuddered, her whole body filling with agony.

It was true.

Undyne was not just lusting after Alphys; she really was in love with her.

“Oh, _Undyne_ …” Toriel murmured, reaching out to take her hand.

But Undyne raised her head, glaring at her angrily, and jerked back, red with humiliation and pain.

“Why did you make me tell you that?!” she cried, swimming backwards. “Isn't it enough that you won't help me? You have to _humiliate_ me, too?!”

Toriel flinched, but was quiet. She had no defence; she _was_ being a bully.

“Please don't tell her you know about any of this. You owe me at _least_ that, Toriel."

Undyne's voice was cold, and when Toriel looked up, Undyne's expression matched her tone.

The old Queen sighed, and nodded. “I promise you. I won't tell Alphys about _any_ of this.”

Undyne nodded stiffly, about to dive back down.

“But _you_ still should. If I’m underestimating you, you are, too – just in a different way.”

Undyne felt the words pierce her heart, and she flinched. She shook her head, too choked up and exhausted to bother trying, anymore.

Without another word, she slipped under, sinking out of sight.


	16. Eyes That Don't Forget

Gaster sat up, startled.

His eyes _weren't_ fooling him: Alphys _was_ leaving F-1, her posture demure and, when he saw it, her face drawn and scared.

For a moment, he wondered if he'd made a mistake. There was no accident regarding the cameras, and it was indeed true.

There were no cameras in F-1.

He did this to give Undyne – and Toriel – the _semblance_ of trust, knowing that it was likely that Undyne would immediately break the rules once she saw it was Toriel - and even moreso once she found no cameras for certain.

He'd hoped so, because he wanted them both to come to the same conclusion.

That even unwatched, they could do absolutely nothing. To do so would cost lives – and neither wanted to do that.

He enjoyed the fact that he'd been right, and how miserable it would make them. He wished he could see it, but of course, it would ruin everything.

He'd forgotten about Alphys, however.

He knew the risks when it came to chemical bioreaction, especially when exposed to a facsimile of a different kind of air to breathe. He knew it could stir things within Alphys, things she likely had left dormant, or perhaps never knew such a thing was possible.

 _But_...

He'd forgotten about her asthma, too.

In all of his carefully placed threads, all humming together in perfect harmony, he found hers out of tune, and was rather ashamed to admit that he'd forgotten all about her.

As he watched her push herself from the door toward the wall before her, then leaned against that wall as she slowly shuffled down the hall, her body hunched over and her arms around herself, stopping to cough every so often.

 _The air is too heavy for her,_ he sighed, pressing his fingers to his temples and resting his elbows upon his desk, his eyes slowly following her walk.

It was clear, now, that she had an asthma attack, and Toriel sent her home.

He watched her silently, his eyes dark, hesitating on a blink whenever she coughed.

He did not want to move her from F-1.

He knew the risks, but also found them rather intriguing.

If Undyne really _did_ start to plan for escape, he wondered if, to protect Toriel, she would attempt to manipulate Alphys, instead.

 _And it might be very easy for her, too,_ he knew, sighing deeply, _because of those risks._

He was curious to see how Alphys would react to someone wanting her help, and wondered if she was strong enough to keep pretending she was invisible - especially if something awoke within herself.

 _Or, Undyne might not even notice her because of the same reason why she would,_ he knew, tapping his lips with his index fingers, now.

No, he wasn't going to move her.

He wanted to see how far she could go, and wanted to see if she would crack, and quit, or be foolish, and attempt a break-out for Undyne.

He wanted to see if he truly did know as much as he thought he did about her.

His mind went silent when, on the other side of the hangar, he saw sans and Papyrus walk the opposite way, meeting in the middle with no knowledge and continuing to walk ignorant.

Papyrus.

It was nice to see him around and about.

He was very special, after all.

Gaster had birthed sans from necessity, carrying him to that birth while his sire worked beside him.

Five years later, he sired a second child, also for necessity.

But Papyrus had _not_ been born to be put to the test.

Gaster was sentimental about Papyrus, and not just because he'd been the one to carry him. It was because Papyrus was _not_ borne of that necessity – but of _passion_ , of panicked, desperate passion, one he'd never felt before, and knew he'd never feel, again.

Papyrus had been the result of that joy, and soon, its only reminder.

As much as Gaster enjoyed holding sans's bony feet close to the fire, he knew that he would never truly hurt Papyrus, let alone kill him. He pretended to be distant, like he was with sans, but he wasn't.

Gaster knew, if the moment called for it, that he _would_ be able to use sans – and kill him in the process, intentional or not – and not lose much sleep over it.

Papyrus, though, was someone he would never, _ever_ harm.

Even this “imprisonment” wasn't much different than living with Gaster, save it was away from the only home he'd known.

That was as far as Gaster was willing to go, but sans didn't know that.

 _And he never will,_ Gaster promised. His eyes flicked between his sons and Alphys, watching Alphys disappear into the locker room, and out of sight (he wasn't _that_ depraved).

He wouldn't see her again until, he hoped, tomorrow, only.

Now that he'd remembered her, he would make sure that he would never, ever forget her, again.


	17. A Cup Of Tea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... by now, I'm certain that all of you know what is going on, and how everyone and everything relates to one another, and why. However, just in case, don't place spoilers in the comments. Most of you know how this will end if you saw the movie, but again, if you have, don't spoil it. I'm not saying the ending to this story will be identical (it's not), but it's still related (a lot). 
> 
> It's all pretty obvious by the end of this chapter, but for the sakes of readers like myself, keep it under your hats. Thank <3

Alphys dragged herself home, leaning heavily against her cane. She felt awful, so much worse than she'd ever felt, before. It had been a terrifying attack, one that had scrambled her brain so much that she signed nonsense, over and over, feeling her body give up and go down. She was too tired to even bother trying to catch the bus; a walk would be quicker than waiting, anyway.

Looking back at it, she figured that her prancing around the hangar had done her no good, however good it had felt while doing it. The air had been heavy, humid and thick; it _felt_ invigorating, but it seemed like there was something about the air that rendered her confused, and...

She stopped, almost dropping her cane.

 _I was_ terrified _, not startled or strangled by humidity. It scared me so bad that I panicked, and couldn't breathe, but_ why?

At the time, she thought what she was signing had been so important.

_'Save her save her save her save her...'_

_Who?_

_And why does the answer scare me so much?_

Alphys shook her head, and resumed her shuffle. If she'd known _then_ , she had no memory of it _now_. She figured if she was supposed to remember, she would have, especially after such a reaction.

But it woke no memories, no experiences, nothing.

 _Oh well,_ she sighed. _No Waterfall, today._

It made her feel like the lonelinest monster in the entire world.

* * *

When Alphys walked into the Lab, the lights were already on, and she smiled, locking the door behind her and hanging up her outer clothes. She tossed her purse onto the panel desk, then hobbled her way to the stairs, glad they had the option of being automatic.

As expected, Alphys found Metta – Metta _ton_ , she corrected – upstairs and waiting for her at the small table, the only other person in the world to have a key. She waved, but he got up – he actually _floated_ up, from the boxy form she'd built for him, and when he did, she could see his expression, and she shook her head.

“don't even _try_ it,” he answered, glaring at her. He zipped back into his box, and by the time she'd found her way to the table, he was helping her sit down.

“What happened?” he asked, this time in the only voice she could program for him at the time. It was a flat, almost metallic-like voice, but if she listened closely, she could hear his normal voice underneath it, from memory, alone.

She was still working on it, and she knew he was waiting eagerly for it. He wanted a corporeal form, wanted to be able to touch and talk and teach, and had almost managed to merge with this form. The voicebox, however, held him back, and they'd both been disappointed. The idea she had in mind was based on building _up_ from that box, to find a way to give him a more human-like visage, so that his dreams of being a multiracial entertainer would come true, and would lack the pains he suffered for it.

She worked on it every weekend, in this very room; across the bed and pressed against the opposite wall was a work desk, with blueprints, drawings, and magical charts piled high upon it, trimmed with various tools and instruments.

He would usually come over on Fridays, not Mondays, as his own schedule was set above; he worked at various human bars, trying to gain a fanbase amongst the humans, in places he, as an assumed monster, couldn't ever enter on his own.

She was surprised, but noticed that he was, too; had he not expected her to come into her own home? Or was it just the novelty that surprised him? She very rarely broke her routine, after all.

_Maybe he just needs a quiet place to rest?_

“Want some tea?” he asked her, one hand touching her cheek, and she smiled, taking hold of his hand and nodding. She didn't, but she knew he needed her to, so she did.

Theirs was an interesting friendship, one founded on mutual selfishness and ambition, but one that slowed and smoothed into a real kind of partnership - platonic, of course. To Mettaton, Alphys was like a niece, and he treated her as such. She loved it, as he was one of the very few people who touched her casually, and she needed that affection. He was so much older than her – he would never admit it, but when she'd assumed it was centuries, he didn't deny it – but still treated her like his equal.

Not many people did that, sadly, so whenever she found one who did, she did her best to keep them.

Mettaton had his moments of selfishness, to the point of almost destroying their friendship. But when she stood up for herself in return, fed up with him and reminding him that he wasn't even paying her, he was forced to accept that he'd been underestimating her, and insulting her as a result.

After that, they suddenly found themselves on even ground, and they never looked back.

He never spoke down to her, but he did love to coddle her – like now.

“Why are you home so early, darling?” he asked her. "You look quite frightful."

She smiled thinly. 'Asthma attack,' she replied.

For the millionth time, Alphys was glad he'd known sign language, too, as he'd also helped her learn it. When she'd asked, though, he refused to tell her where or how he learnt it.

Mettaton's hands went still, before he caught himself and plugged the kettle in. He then grabbed one of the only two cups she had – a chipped porcelain lizard-shaped mug – and spooned some loose tea into it. He stayed where he was, waiting for the kettle, but his attention was back on her.

“Did you get hurt? You had your cane...”

She shook her head. ‘I got myself worked up over… something at work.’

She went quiet, looking away, because she hated that she wasn't allowed to talk to him about it. She'd signed a waver that forbade her from doing so, and knew that contracts like that had ways to make sure they were kept.

“I'm sorry that happened,” Mettaton said softly. “Are you alright, mentally?”

 _He knows me so well..._ she thought, blinking hard, feeling her eyes burning for a moment.

‘Kind of,’ she admitted. ‘I feel very strange about it all. It's not like the usual stuff that happens there.'

Alphys then shut up; she already felt nervous enough saying that much.

Mettaton was quiet for a moment, and she was, too, her mind racing over the blur of her shortened workday.

Then, she raised her head. ‘Why are _you_ here?'

“Well--,” he began, but was cut off by the kettle.

They spent a few minutes with the tea - Alphys wanting more and more sugar and Mettaton getting frustrated with her, saying it was bad for her - and it was nice.

It was _normal_.

 _What_ is _normal, really, in this place of ours?_ she wondered, her eyes on her friend as she took her cup and signed a one-handed thanks to him, sipping it at once. Strong and sweet, her favourite.

_Normal is mopping up puddles of blood._

_Normal is smelling someone familiar without ever having met them._

_Normal is blurting out your deepest secret, with no care in the world to who may see it, all because it was familiar and warm and healing, so healing..._

Again, Alphys had to blink back tears, yearning to tell... _someone_. She knew Toriel would understand, but they never met outside of work. And because of the nondisclosure agreement, she couldn't share this with Metta, despite knowing that he would be able to help her with it, to help her get past it, to help _her_...

_‘Save her...'_

“I'm here,” he said suddenly, startling her into slurping too big a gulp, and she gagged for a moment, shooting him a sour look. “Oh, don't give me that, dear, you'll wrinkle.”

She snorted, but also glared, so he went on. “I'm here to see you, because I wanted to ask you if you knew something.”

Alphys stared at him. She didn't even have to sign it; all she had to do was look at him, and he knew exactly how she felt about that.

“Yes, I’m aware of your penchant for declaring yourself stupid and ignorant, and I of course reject both.”

She sighed, then took another sip, wincing a little.

“But you are also the smartest person I’ve ever met in recent history, so I know you know more than you think you know that I think you know."

She gave him the finger, and he laughed, making her smile a little coyly. She loved being able to be bitchy to him, and not have to worry about hurting his feelings.

It had taken years, of course, and millions of recitations of, ‘I'm sorry, no, was that too far?', only to be told each time that she was still way behind him. Once she finally was able to accept it, she never looked back – and both were happy.

She lowered her hand, and he took it, surprising her. Instantly, her face fell, because now she knew it was serious.

“Something happened in Waterfall, over the weekend,” he said. There was no mirth left in him, now. “Someone important went missing.”

Alphys blinked. She did visit Waterfall quite a bit, but usually only kept to one place. She'd never even been to Metta's house, too nervous of being caught and arrested; or _worse_ – having to deal with an awkward social situation.

Therefore, she wasn't exactly in the know when it came to goings-on of Waterfall. She had no idea why Metta would ever think that she knew more than he.

The cloaking magic worked on her, too, and in all the worst ways.

“Nobody saw it happen,” he went on, still holding her hand. Since she held her cup in the other, she wondered if he was trying to keep her quiet. “But it happened... it happened on Friday night.”

Alphys jolted, understanding, now. She frowned, her eyes unfocusing as she tried to remember if she saw or heard anything strange while there.

But that was the thing: she hadn't heard anything. At all.

She'd even lingered, just in case, but her voice didn't echo that night, and after her first shy attempt, she stopped, and left not long after, her food tasting like nothing and her body tense and frustrated.

 _Had_ something happened?

Was there truth to her hope, that her voice hadn't ever echoed, that someone else _was_ responding--?

“Alphys.”

She looked up, and when she felt her eyes burn for the third time, she didn't fight it. She let them come. She shook her head, but not as an answer to his question.

Rather, it was in hopes that her conclusions were wrong.

“Alphys...?” Mettaton touched her cheek with his other hand, and she closed her eyes tight, sniffling. “Alphys, did you hear or see anything?”

She shook her head, then sobbed, the sound consisting of squeaks and hiccups, and she covered her face, resting her elbows atop the table and lowering her head down further, unable to stop, now.

“Alphys, please talk to me!” Mettaton insisted, both of his hands touching her forearms. “Why are you crying?”

She pulled one hand away, and without looking, she said, ‘W-o-r-k. C-a-n-n-o-t  s-a-y. Yes. No. I don't know.’

Mettaton thought about it for a moment, and she used it and tried to get a hold of herself, but it was impossible. Not with what she knew, now.

“Would it help you if I told you _who_ went missing? Please, Alphys, you don't understand. We're all worried that something happened to her, because it's happened, before.”

Alphys's blood froze completely, then, as that was the last pin to drop.

Because she knew where the missing person was.

And she also knew that whatever had happened to them - _her_ \- had been Alphys's fault.

 _'Save her, save her, save her,_ save her _...'_

_Her..._

Alphys's head slumped onto the table, and she surrendered to her tears. Her hands were fists, and when she covered her face with her arms, they remained near her head, and they shook. She stopped trying, because she knew she deserved to cry.

Mettaton was bemused, but he moved closer and opened his arms, hoping a hug would soothe her and help her find the words.

Alphys accepted, only because she was certain that he would never be her friend, ever again, when he learnt what happened to his missing friend, and wanted one last coddled moment with him, terrified to lose him.

He hugged her, doing everything she needed him to, but this was too deep. She couldn't stop, and he worried she would end up suffering another asthma attack. He tried to ask her if she wanted to move, but when he looked at her, he knew she wasn't going to be able to talk.

Whatever it was, it was clear that it was breaking Alphys's heart.

* * *

It wasn't that hard to figure out why, an hour later, Mettaton was pulling down Alphys's bed, before picking her up like she weighed nothing, and tucking her into that bed, removing only her glasses and covering her with her blankets.

It wasn't hard, but Mettaton wished there had been no reason at all, despite not knowing the whole story. He could guess easily enough, and while he tried to get her to confirm it, she always shook her head, her hands remaining held against her own chest, and again, he always had to pull them away before she broke skin.

That had been a  _fight_.

He watched her for a moment, just to make sure she was okay, and when she moved a little, he could still see a bit of blood staining her claws. She'd managed to do it before he noticed, and kept trying to worsen it. She fought him, her face pale and her eyes glassy, shaking her head and trying to pull her hands back...

Now, Alphys simply snored.

Mettaton went over to her side and picked up that hand, holding it between his own for a moment, and again, she stirred, but didn't wake. He could tell her dreams were bad, and hated that she was capable of having them.

Especially with  _why_  she was having them; even now, her free hand twitched, and he watched it closely, loosening his hold on her other. Sure enough, when she found her hands free, they moved up, like they always did, when she had something to say.

But her gestures were slow, and mostly nonsense, like all sleeptalk – he  _thought_. That was, until he frowned, and looked closer. Her face fell, just as her fingers traced something legible, and wished he'd looked away.

‘S-a-v-e  h-e-r...'

At that, he had to look away, and leave, because he knew if he stayed, he would just end up bullying her into giving up that crucial information, despite knowing it would cost her her job. He needed that information, because he was trying to find  _her_ , knew it was more important than that job, but a simple fact had him shutting the lights off and locking the door behind him, instead of trying again.

If what he surmised was true, and he was reading between the lines of Alphys's fingers, then Undyne was indeed back at Deltarune, and Alphys not only knew it, but knew  _Undyne_  – only  _he_  didn't know how that was possible.

One of the things he kept trying to do was to get her to admit to things without confessing, so he kept asking her what ‘the Asset' looked like. But she kept shaking her head, and he lost his temper.

Even then, even when he yelled at her, making her flinch, she kept shaking her head. Before he was even done demanding the answers, she was signing, ‘I don't know, I don't know _, I don't know!'_

And he knew it was the truth. Somehow, in some way, it was the truth.

One of the worst things about this was the fact that, even though he wanted her to break the contract for the sake of his –  _their_  – friend, he also knew the wisdom behind keeping her there.

 _Especially_ , he reasoned,  _if she's actually able to spend time with Undyne, enough to see her, if it is her, and confirm it to me..._

He needed Alphys there. And it hurt them both.

But it was clear that it was  _breaking_  Alphys, too.

In the span of mere hours, not even long enough to make daily bank, her life had turned inside-out, been rearranged, and then shoved back into her without bothering to see if she could even carry that much.

He, like Toriel, had the bad habit of underestimating Alphys. And he refused to admit that, perhaps, this was one of those times.

Instead, he went home, to figure out how – or what – to do, next.

Because now, he had no clue.


	18. Soothing Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go.

It had been many years since Toriel had had to clean this place, alone, as Alphys’s last sick day was at least five years ago.

This felt different. This felt… _uncomfortable_.

She finished the hangar just in time for lunch, and was relieved, because the silence was starting to wear her down. She'd called for Undyne, several times, but Undyne was either ignoring her, or asleep.

Toriel hoped it was the latter. She'd seen the wounds that Undyne had been given, and while it was true that the waters accelerated her healing, to an almost unbelievable speed, that didn't mean she had recovered the copious amounts of blood she'd lost.

To be honest – if unfair – Toriel was rather shocked when she discovered the extent of Undyne's injuries, and had expected her to pass out hours before she and Alphys even got there.

 _But she'd sensed Alphys,_ Toriel thought, awkwardly pushing her cart and Alphys's at the same time, one in front, one behind. _The moment we walked in, Undyne somehow sensed Alphys, as if being led right to her, attached by a string, and Alphys, her..._

Every so often, the cart behind her would bump into her heels, making her stumble in a most disgraceful way – for a Queen. For a Head Janitor, she could dance a jig and no one would even look. It did so, now, and she growled at it, but kept going.

By the time she'd returned Alphys's cart, it was time to eat, and she was famished. She limped over to her locker and dug out her lunch, finding herself waiting for Alphys to catch up before she remembered. She ate it mechanically, with little to no thought, and while she did enjoy it (Asgore, once given time to learn, was an excellent cook), it wasn't as fun as she knew it would have been with Alphys, catching up to her as she grabbed her cart.

No one spoke to Toriel, whenever anyone saw her alone – every day. That was so standard by now that she barely noticed it, usually; today, though, she noticed this avoidance keenly, and it made her lonely for her friend.

 _Now I know why I always eat alone,_ she thought sadly.

That brought her mood down even more; now that Alphys was on her mind, and Undyne was already there, it was no surprise that the two would connect.

Now that she knew just how _deep_  that connection went, she felt wary and uncomfortable, again.

Undyne was right: it _was_ hard to see Alphys as a grown woman.

It was the same for Undyne, but she'd expected that. Alphys, however, was one that she always thought Toriel treated as her _peer_. She felt, out of the entire janitorial staff, that Alphys was one of the best, if not _the_ best, and she was proud to know her. But because of how Alphys usually carried herself, making sure to be invisible and silent, Toriel often ended up overlooking Alphys, too. She saw her as _sexless_ , as someone asexual and aromantic, and had never even tried to picture her in any other way.

Alphys, herself, never carried on like she was someone sexual. She never flirted, never dated, and certainly never asked Toriel about her own sex life (which was a relief, true, but even _Undyne_ , at _fifteen_ , had asked her about it, boredom notwithstanding).

It was also how Alphys _looked_ , and it was here that Toriel felt like a horrible person, barely watching herself go back to her locker. Alphys was not the type who tended to come to mind when one thought of attraction, not only because of how Toriel had seen her, before, but also because of the fact that, even amongst monsters, Alphys... _stood_ out. In a bad way.

_In a way that would likely have mortified the poor girl, if she knew..._

_There, you just did it again,_ she snapped at herself _. You just called her “girl”._

She couldn't help it, but at least now, she was actively trying to fix it. The only was she knew how was to force herself to accept several things at once, and it made her sit down for a moment.

Alphys was short, but also... plump was a generous word, but not generous in the way that would aptly describe her. Crudely, she was _fat_ , and it showed. She knew it, and usually tried to hide behind baggy clothes in muted colours, washing out her natural colouring and making her look dull and bland. Most people were never close enough to see her eyes, her best feature, and even then, they were hidden behind glasses. She had the tendency to sweat a lot, and in the summer, it was obvious in ways that even she hated. She was nervous, startled easily, and avoided as many people as possible.

All of Alphys's attempts at being invisible either worked too well, or made her unconventional features even more prominent - and to her detriment.

Toriel had no idea if she even had a figure, other than round, because she even covered up during the summer, leaving only her arms exposed – arms that also showed signs of pain, in lines up and down the thick, scaley flesh.

 _Scaley_ , she repeated. _Did lizards have scales? Or did they grow in after—_

Toriel’s mind was wiped clean when she heard her name being paged over the loudspeaker. She frowned, raising her head, but when she hesitated, there was a second page. She sighed, found the camera, and nodded, getting to her feet, and the pages stopped.

She hoped, however, that the cameras were unable to pick up her figure too well, as she felt herself start to tremble a little. She started walking, finding those shakes easily cloaked beneath her stride, and she raised her chin, knowing what this was going to be about – and preparing herself to lie.

A _lot_.

* * *

‘Come in, please.'

Toriel nodded, making sure her cart was parked, as she planned on getting back to work as soon as this was over. She had no intention of staying here long.

She then walked in, and he closed the door, waving her over to the seat in front of his desk. It meant that she had to sit in front of the screens, and ended up blocking quite a few. She did try to see if there was a screen that had F-1 on it, but he had her sitting before she could.

He then sat down, and she waited, her hands in her lap. He waited, too, obviously wanting her to ask what he wanted, but she refused to.

Finally, he broke down. ‘What happened to Alphys?'

Toriel's eyebrows went up. Inside, her heart was racing, and she was terrified that he could hear it. “Why on earth would you ask me about something you already know?” she wondered.

Gaster blinked. He hadn't expected that, to have her call his bluff, to see if she could expose him, before she exposed her.

‘I unfortunately ended up away from here when you both went in,' he replied, though his hands were slow, and he looked unsure – but in a way he didn't know he revealed.

Toriel saw it, and with that, she knew exactly what to do. “In that case, I would check the tapes.”

'For that location, because of its contents, we require it to be taped at all times.’

“Can you not ask someone to go over the tapes with you?” she sighed, feeling tired for real, and using it as a cloak to hide her fear, her finger and thumb going to massage the bridge of her nose.

Gaster was impressed. She was acting like she had no idea that there were no cameras, to the point of treating him like a child. They weren't that much apart in age, so he was surprised when he actually felt like they were.

‘Having the Asset back makes us all very busy, indeed,' he decided to reply, calling her bluff, instead.

Toriel raised her head, her eyes growing wide. “What? You... you found her?” She covered her mouth, and again, because it _was_ how she felt, she grieved in truth, and he couldn't call her on it. “That's _terrible_ , Gaster. Why didn't you listen to her, to sans, when they said she was not a Boss Monster? Why do you not believe _me?”_

Gaster was speechless for a moment, actually looking around to make sure – to remind himself – that they were truly alone.

‘Because _something_ happened to Alphys, Toriel,' Gaster answered, his face clouding over. ‘We all know it. And it changed her.'

“It almost killed her!” Toriel snapped. “And you let her mother slice her to bits!”

Gaster's hands went still, and she glared at him, her eyes filling with true tears. He was astonished, even as she looked away and tried to clean her face. She kept her eyes on him, though, and it was a courtesy that he had not expected from her.

‘You know?' he asked.

Toriel slapped her hand down onto the desk, startling him. “Of _course_ I do! I had hoped it had not been, that it had been something else, but when I read what happened to her, firsthand...”

Gaster looked angry, now. ‘sans let you see the files.'

“Of course he did,” she answered, looking exasperated. “As soon as he figured out what the hell you were doing to Undyne, he _had_ to tell me!”

Gaster slashed his hand in front of her when she said Undyne's name, and she almost slapped him across the face.

Instead, she grabbed that wrist – and slammed it down against his desk. She was on her feet after he blinked, and then grabbed the other and swung it behind him, crooking his arm up and slamming him face-down into his own desk, her hand holding his skull in place.

He didn't move. He didn't say a word. He stayed very still, because he realised that he was likely about to die, and because of it, would end up missing the war he wanted - by being its martyr.

“You stole something from Undyne,” Toriel growled, her eyes burning into his. “And you gave it to Alphys. And because you don't know what to do, next, here you are, starting all over again, only _worse!”_

He said nothing, but his eyes looked away for a moment. It was true, after all. He was distressed that he was no longer the one with the power, as she not only deflected him, but hit him with his own magic.

“Why are you doing this to them?” she demanded. “She doesn't know what you are to her, Gaster. She _doesn't_. And she doesn't _deserve_ to know! It's too cruel!”

Gaster's eyes darkened at that, anger and shock fighting within him. He'd absolutely underestimated Toriel's love for her people. Even though she was dethroned because those people wanted it, she would still protect them to her last breath.

It was an admirable quality, one he realised he may have abused, just now.

Except when it came to _that_ topic.

He shook his head, and she pushed him down harder, growling, again.

“Let them both off, Gaster. Give her money, a place to live, the money you _owe_ her for making her life the way it is now, and for denying her the things she'd deserved from the _fucking start!!”_

That hurt. He tried to pull an arm free, as he only needed one hand to summon the other two, but she did not give it to him.

“You know that if you keep going at this rate, you will be creating your own doom, and all from vanity and machinations of absurd delusions of grandeur!” She took a breath, her whole body shaking with fury, now.

She'd had enough.

"Instead of constantly using people as toys for you to play with, instead of damming and siring children to become your experimental _slaves_ , instead of making _thousands_ of humans believe the lies they tell about us, and _perhaps try to stop proving to them that those lies are fucking true!!”_

With a disgusted sneer, Toriel shoved him forward and let go, kicking his chair away before he could use it to sit in – or even for balance. She turned and moved to leave, but he was as slippery as an eel in an oil spill, and had her wrist in his hand before she could open it.

‘I gave Undyne a week to recover,' he said, finally, using both hands, again. He knew that this was _not_ how he was supposed to be doing this, but he also could see murder in her eyes, and knew he needed to lie.

He'd thought.

‘If she isn't a Boss Monster, and can prove it before those days are up, I will let her – them  _both_ – go, and set them both free.’

When she slammed him into the wall, he'd been waiting for it, but it still hurt.

“You have a deal, save one condition.”

He waited, wondering what she could possibly come up with.

“If we do, you're also _dead.”_

Gaster stared into her eyes, then, and saw that she meant it. If she – and people she cared about – were forced to bet on their own lives, then it was only fair for him to do the same.

He knew he'd already won. He knew exactly how they were going to try to prove it. He'd thought of every single scenario that could possibly come from this, and knew that he had already won, every time.

‘Agreed,' he replied, before holding out his hand.

She took it, and they shook, Gaster surprised that she didn't try to overpower him – she just gave a firm handshake.

Toriel let go, and went back to the door. She then hesitated, and added, “You better hope you remember what you just did.”

For a moment, she felt a pang of regret, as she knew what would happen once he was killed, and was sad it had come to this, to make that real.

But this was his bed, now. She couldn't regret a past that is long gone. She felt almost sorry for him, because she knew, in the end, that this would end badly for him.

She didn't wait to see his answer. She turned her head, opened the door, and left, closing it gently behind her.

* * *

Toriel kept it hidden, well aware that she was being watched, but inside, she was both crowing with joy, and weeping with despair.

On her face, nothing showed – unless you knew her. She spent the entire remainder of the night wearing that mask, and by the time she was done, her face ached from the strain.

Asgore met her at the exits, like he always did, with fresh coffee and a kind of human pastry she loved, and instantly, the mask broke off. She walked into his open and waiting arms, taking her cup and bag of pastry, before burying her face into her husband's shoulder. He wrapped her arms around her, kissing the top of her head, and he closed his eyes, his face pleasantly tickled by her hair.

“My love?” he murmured to her after a moment, her ear twitching a little from surprised. She moved closer, nodding. “What's happened?”

In reply, Toriel sniffled.

It was a small, simple noise, one made by anyone at any time, usually inconsequential.

But coming from Toriel, the former Queen of monsters, the current head of a janitorial staff, in a former aerospace hangar, for the monster who overthrew her – _and_ her husband...

To said husband, that sound was as loud as a scream, and he treated it as such. He pulled her over, keeping a hand to the back of her head, just as she started to shake. He grabbed the food and drink, shifted it to the ground at their feet, and moved a step away, before he gathered her back into his arms. Her hands went to his chest, her fingers digging in, and she sniffled, again.

Asgore felt a few of her tears against his neck, and he opened his, looking over her head and glaring at the building she'd just escaped from. They glinted orange, and Toriel opened her eyes, shocked. He didn’t look at her; instead, he was the one who started shaking.

“Gorey--?”

“Let me kill him.”

Toriel raised her head, and still, he glared at Deltarune's metal doors, his teeth bared and his stance coiled, waiting for any kind of agreement. She hadn't seen him look like that in a very long time, and it shocked her. She touched his cheek, and he startled, his eyes flaring, before he nodding, swallowing hard, keeping his gaze where it was.

“Gorey, I want the same,” she told him, keeping her voice as low as possible, just in case they were heard. “I _do_. And I almost _did_. I lost my temper, Gorey...”

Her voice trailed off with shame, and now, he looked at her, his face falling. “Oh, Tori...” he whispered back. “That was dangerous...”

“Indeed,” she agreed. “Imagine what would happen if _you_ killed him, today.”

Asgore closed his eyes, and slowly, he started to calm. He pressed his forehead to hers, and she held his face, just as he held her shoulders.

Nobody lingered around them, and neither cared about the reason. When seen together, the Dreemurrs reminded them all of a different time, and it had the potential to cause some panic.

By now, however, they all knew that they were harmless, and tended to ignore them.

* * *

It used to hurt them both, to be ignored or sneered at by the people they'd served for decades. But now – and for the reasons why they did not kill Gaster – was _because_ of these people. They represented the majority, right now, despite how backward and deranged their Leader's rules became. They wanted the humans to be put down, and Gaster was with them.

The Dreemurrs advocated for peace, for multicultural integration, a world that would soon forget to differentiate between “human” and “monster”.

They'd tried, but the humans were relentless. They hated sharing their lands with monsters, and wanted them gone, despite forgetting that the monsters were there, first.

With the Dreemurrs at the helm, they ended up buried Underground and forced to work insulting wages while being treated like slaves, or trash. Crimes had risen against monsters, to the point that, at first, segregation was almost a relief.

But when the humans made it clear that they had no intention of honouring the “equal” part, the monsters started to speak out – and fight back.

They wanted war, and the only way to stop it was to abolish the monarchy.

Toriel and Asgore would do _anything_ to prevent a war, even giving up their own people. If it saved them, then that was all they needed.

Besides, if they staged a coup against Gaster in return, there _would_ be war – and one that could also turn “civil”.

Even after three decades of failure upon failure, of erecting bans around harmless lands, uncaring how those lands fared if it meant he got what he lost back...

Still, after all of that, the people – including the humans – it was Gaster they still wanted.

The humans knew he was trying to arm monsters with the means to murder them, and had been wary, at first. But when Gaster seemed to do nothing, and his silence started to drag on to years, the humans instead mocked him. They saw him as harmless, and they no longer feared monsters as a result. Their aggression increased without a fear of punishment, and since Gaster was always head-down upon his desk, these crimes were overlooked.

And yet still, after _all_ of his failures and crimes against both peoples, _Gaster_ was the one they wanted, by both of those peoples.

The Dreemurrs were powerless.

* * *

“I regret you did not,” Asgore admitted, smiling without humour. “Even after applying logic.”

She smiled back, before returning into his arms. He held her, and for a long time, they didn’t move. They just comforted each other, holding onto each other, because it was the only thing they could.

Once calm, they broke apart, and after retrieving Toriel's breakfast, they made their way back to New Home, arm-in-arm.


	19. A Bubble Bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some nice, soothing fluff :3. Believe it or not, it's plot-driven! (The next chapter will be NSFW, FYI.)
> 
> And before I'm asked, a Murphy bed is a bed usually built into small apartments, as it can be pushed back up into the wall for space, and brought down when needed.

Undyne was telling the truth, and even though she was so upset that she had to hide for a while to cry it out, it took a simple closing of her eye, longer than five seconds, and she was asleep.

And ten seconds later, she began to dream.

* * *

_From the start, Undyne knows that something is off. Because, from the start, Undyne is capable of knowing that this was a dream._

You're not supposed to have dreams like this, _she thinks, frowning. She hasn't realised that her eye is still closed, has no idea where she is, but she instead tries to focus._

_She's floating, and she feels warm. She smiles; home._

I'm home. And if I’m aware that this is a dream, then I must be--!

_She opens her eye, and for a moment, she is fooled, and she truly believes she is home, and at the abyss. She smiles; it must be time to see her, so of course she's home._

_But when she starts to swim, it's different._

_When her hands slice through her second source of air, it feels warm, not cool, like usual. It's not horrible, but it reminds her that, no, this is a dream, and she's dreaming, because she's asleep at the bottom of a monstermade pool in Deltarune..._

_Her smile fades, because when her eye does focus, she sees the most peculiar thing before her, something she could have never, ever guessed was even possible. But it is, because it's absolutely here._

_A small, creaky old Murphy bed...?_

* * *

Alphys began with nightmares, horrible nightmares, of what she was dealing with, all of it too much. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, and if she'd known she would be encased in nightmares, she would have inhaled all the coffee she had left.

But somewhere along the way, her dreams changed, and Alphys found herself dreaming - _possibly_.

In truth, it felt more real than reality did, and when she understood what it was, she retreated into it – and was rewarded.

* * *

_Alphys opens her eyes – and jolts, shocked to find herself still in her bed – but not in her room._

It looks like the pool, _Alphys realises at once. She sits up, slowly, finding her glasses already upon her nose, and looks up and around her, mystified. She – and her bed – are encased in a thick, almost plastic-looking bubble._

_She raises a hand, and finds it patterned with dancing lights, the familiar, hot-blue lights that dance within Waterfall. They look hot, but she knows they feel like a gentle, cool caress._

_Alphys moves to the edge of her bed and reaches out, her fingers touching the side of it. She feels the power behind it, and as her fingers sink through it, it does not flood her bubble; when she moves it back, the shield simply reforms, and keeps her safe._

_Before she can do anything else, she hears something that has her freezing in place, her entire body shivering in response. Her breaths increase, and she looks around desperately._

_It's her echo._

_But it's clearly not an echo, at all._

_Her eyes land on a figure in front of her, and she is a statue, her eyes wide and her entire body flooding with shocked heat – and strange familiarity._

_Undyne is equally frozen, unable to look away. She treads water, just outside of the bubble, and she sings, because she sees_ her _, and she_ must _sing when she sees_ her _..._

 _…and now,_ she's _seeing Undyne._

_Undyne realises that she certainly had the better side of the deal, because while Alphys has no idea who Undyne is, or if she even exists, Undyne already feels like she knows Alphys better than herself._

_She sings, barely hearing her own song, and watches as Alphys looks over the side of her bed, looking for a way to walk within the bubble, but she's not sure, so she stops. She barely notices her own actions, as she scrambles to try and find a way to reach this mysterious yet familiar person..._

_Alphys's eyes focus, and finally, they see Undyne._

_She's tall, very tall, and has the figure of an athlete, her proportions modest. Her hair floats around her head like a smoke-like halo of blood, hiding her left eye. Her right eye, however, is bright, an almost oval-shaped black pupil and iris against a background of yellow. Her skin glitters like fine blue labradorite. Alphys can see a great deal of skin, as this vision before is wearing a two-piece swimsuit. It's black, and the pants – shorts – stop just above her knees; the top is sleeveless and ends just a touch above the bottom of her ribs._

_When Alphys brings her eyes back up to Undyne's, Undyne suddenly goes silent, as now, she's close enough to see Alphys better, too – better than she had just hours ago._

She's... soft...

_This is Undyne's first true thought upon seeing her siren up-close at last. She knows what Alphys looks like, but from afar, usually distorted by the water's waves. Here, despite the lights dancing over her bright yellow skin, Undyne can see Alphys for real, and she has to be silent, now; she's in awe._

_Alphys is, as mentioned, rather fat, but when the word comes to Undyne's mind, it's not to insult or belittle her; it's just an observation._

_At first._

_The longer she looks, the more she realises that she is seeing..._ curves _._

_Alphys wears only a summer-light nightgown, the green colour faded. It reaches above her knees, made of soft, sheer material. It's how Undyne knows how Alphys is shaped: the lighting leaves little to imagination, despite being a silhouette._

_Alphys is cuter than she remembers, her face long, with a long snout, and Undyne sees, like her own, that her front teeth poke out a bit, only hers aren't sharp and pointed, but even and flat. Her mind goes rather hazy the longer she looks, so she quickly looks up to her eyes – and is spellbound._

_Even from here, she can see Alphys's eyes. The glasses don't hide them, and the longer they stare at each other in silence, Alphys's face becomes redder and redder, and slowly, Undyne sees movement from behind her – and sees her tail uncurled and... swaying, just a little._

_Alphys shivers, but she isn't cold. She holds up her hands – then stares at them, before looking back up at Undyne. Undyne is already looking at her, and now, even her face is red._

_A silence stretches between them as they examine each other, both feeling so many emotions all at once._

_Then, it is Undyne who moves, swimming up against the bubble and reaching out to touch it – and her fingers slid through. Alphys sees them, and without a second glance, she reaches for them – and their hands meet._

It's like being struck by that machine, _Undyne thinks, barely._ But in a very _good_ way.

_Alphys stands up, trying to pull Undyne to her, without even asking her if she could. But Undyne's fingers have already closed around Alphys's, and before she knows it, Alphys is weightless – then breaks through the bubble, a gush of water crashing in after her, drowning her bed._

_She feels worried, now; that means no air, and no going back._

_But she turns back to Undyne, and their eyes meet again._

Oh...! _Alphys thinks, moving closer and making Undyne's heart stop, unable to look away from her._ Her eyes... like oil... but beautiful, shimmering, healing oil, upon sore skin...

_Undyne can't help it, now. She can't let this opportunity by. She knows this isn't normal, knows she should be more cautious, knows this could have consequences..._

…but _she_ is touching me, seeing me, staring at me, holding my hand, with an expression I’ve only seen in my wettest of dreams...

_Alphys keeps her mouth closed, feeling the waters press around her, but she feels light and happy, and it feels amazing. She smiles, her eyes still on Undyne's._

_She reaches up with her other hand, touching her own lips, first, before shaking her head, looking regretful._

_Undyne, however, smiles, and Alphys is struck, her eyes going wide and her blush spreading lower._

_“I'm Undyne, and I know – you're Alphys.” she murmurs, pulling the hand she's hold and, without allowing herself to stop herself, she closes her eye and brings the back of that hand to her own lips – and kisses it._

_Alphys shudders, her eyes fluttering closed, feeling tears fill them and vanish into the water. She's never felt anything so... arousing, so_ intimate _... before. She's only had her hands, a pillow, and a distant, daily duet…_

 _But this chaste kiss, she_ feels _, and without that same chastity. She feels it like she never would if in a dream, and knows, like Undyne – a beautiful name, one she wishes she'd known from the start – that this is something beyond their understanding, but important._

_They were connected._

_Alphys opens her eyes. Undyne's flicks between them, her eyelid lowering a little, and this close, Alphys can see what she's lacking – and she cries out, her mind finally connecting the blood with the missing eye, and she feels—_

_She feels her lungs fill, and she flails with shock, feeling real pain constrict around her chest. She begins to sink, just as she feels her mind clouding over._

_Her fear is genuine, because it feels_ real _._

_Undyne cries out, a sound they both hear, and quickly, she tries to bring Alphys back to the bed – before realising it's already drowned._

_Like Alphys is, now._

_Alphys's hand loosens its hold, and her eyes darken, her blush vanishing the moment she begins to drown..._

_Undyne grabs her hands, panicking, and once she's close enough, she does the only thing she can think of._

Alphys needs air, she can't breathe it, she needs it!

I can, I have--!

_Undyne takes hold of Alphys's face, just as her eyes close, and kisses her._

_As she does, she pushes her tongue rather roughly between Alphys's lips, opens her mouth against her own – and draws the water out of her, drinking it as fast as she can. In between, she replaces the water with her own air._

_Soon, Alphys twitches, and slowly, her hands float up, and touch Undyne's, trembling all over, now. It's shock, she knows it, but it's also Undyne._

_Because the second they kissed, not when Undyne started to help her, was the second that woke her, the feeling slicing through the agony, and giving her joy to focus on – and return to._

_Slowly, Alphys kicks her legs, and she feels Undyne sob softly, just before slowly pulling away._

_Alphys keeps hold of Undyne's hands, their faces barely an inch apart, and Alphys holds her breath, her heart racing. Undyne is pale, now, but again, Alphys can only feel joy, and she smiles carefully, pulling one hand away and touching Undyne's cheek._

_Undyne is the one who shudders, now, and it makes her bold. She slides her arms around Alphys's waist, going scarlet when she feels how amazing that feels, and her breaths become uneven and raspy, that fear and panic long gone, now, chased away with Alphys's touch._

_Alphys stares at her – but her smile widens, and she nods. She then touches just below her lost eye, and Undyne feels a different fear fill her, becoming painfully aware of this loss she kept trying to ignore._

_But Alphys just looks at it, connecting it to the bloody infirmary, and is amazed that Undyne survived it._

_Alphys then looks down at Undyne's arms, feeling them hold her snugly, right within that curve between rib and hip, and it feels better than she's ever dreamt, because Undyne is better than she could ever imagine..._

_Her eyes then go to Undyne's sides, and she stares at them, watching them slowly take in and release water, able to translate water into air, and Alphys is envious; she wishes the damages done to_ her _sides could be so useful, however impossible such a thing is..._

 _She then flinches and pats her chest, feeling the ache return._  I hate asthma, _she thinks – but Undyne looks rather... excited. She nods, and before she can even think about it, Undyne's lips are back against her own._

_This time, their lips merely part, and the exchange of air feels incredible, soothing Alphys's lungs – and heating her body. Again, her hands go to Undyne's cheeks, and again, Undyne shivers, pressing closer to her, her fingers digging into her soft, fleshy back._

_Suddenly, it truly_ is _a kiss; suddenly, the world stops turning; suddenly, so suddenly, there is a deeper connection, one that has opened, just a little, with a real kiss…_

_Alphys has no idea what she is doing, her whole body shaking with a different shock, now. But somehow, this feels familiar, despite never having kissed her – or anyone – before. She's intrigued, and realises that the kiss isn't familiar, but the energy alongside it is._

_And within it, she feels safe. Even as they slowly drift to the bottom, finding not metal but sand, like the stuff in Waterfall, and it softens their landing. They both remain on their knees, and once they settle, Undyne makes sure Alphys has air, then slowly pulls away, opening her eye._

_Alphys barely moves, her eyes still closed. Though her lips press closed, they curve upward, barely registering any of this, knowing only that it feels good, and that makes it good. She knows if she tries to use logic, this whole dream will probably vanish, and that's the last thing she wants._

_Instead, Alphys focuses inward, upon how she feels – and how much more she feels because of it. But she can't say how she feels. She frowns, moving to pull her hands away, to at least try, but Undyne stops her, placing them, instead, upon her own chest, her eye bright and on Alphys's face. She has an idea, and wants to ask, but waits, watching Alphys – as usual._

_Her siren is crimson, now, to the shoulders and chest, and her nightgown is like froth against the shore, floating well above her knees. She knows – especially now, in water – that if she pulls away, her gown will show more than she's ever shown to anyone, before. And yet, she feels no shame. She wonders if she should, because she just now learnt the name of her echo, the first words exchanged between them, and already, she feels like she wants more._

_She yearns to ask Undyne, to make sure that she is her source of joy, but she can't. Even if her hands were free, she finds it unlikely that Undyne would know what she is saying._

_Undyne watches her, seeing most of this in her expression, despite the fact that half of her brain has retreated south, and can only focus on the feel of their bodies pressed together. Alphys then looks down, looking crestfallen, and it’s an expression that makes Undyne want to just take her away and keep her within her own heart._

_So, she speaks for them both._

_“You... you came to Waterfall, almost every day... didn't you?”_

_Alphys lights up, nodding. Undyne sees her tail moving, again, but faster. She presses her hands a bit against Undyne's chest, looking relieved and thrilled._

_“You... you sang...” Undyne stammers, words making little sense, finding it easier to understand without them – which is a first. “And you... came...” She feels her ears burn, but her smile turns just a bit coy. “You came..._ into _Waterfall... with me..."_

_Alphys jumps, her eyes going wide, before she grins – then starts laughing, keeping her mouth closed. Undyne feels her whole body relax, and in this moment, with this laughter, she knows – she just knows – that Alphys appreciates the same kind of humour as she did, which is wonderful – nobody really seemed enjoy it in the past._

Alphys isn't nobody, she isn't just someone, she isn't like anyone else in the entire world...

_But it's then that something incredible happens._

_They hear it._

_The laugh is heard by both of them, and it silences Alphys like a slap, her smile vanishing. Undyne's face lights up, because it's a sound she knows so well, already: a soft, slightly high-pitched giggle that virbrates around them, and it stuns Alphys._

_Because it's a sweet-sounding voice, if a little squeaky, and Alphys realises that she doesn't remember it sounding like that. She remembers it as deeper, not as deep as Undyne's, but..._

_“Oh...” Undyne murmurs, now, the sound still dancing around her brain, even as Alphys trembles and covers her mouth. “Ohh...”_

_The sound brings Alphys back to focus, as they are sounds that..._ affect _her. They are sounds that aren't just acknowledged confirmation, but of deep, painfully-buried emotion, and of an emotion that is also familiar, but sweetly so._

_Undyne blushes, wishing she could erase those sounds, as she knows why she made them: she is unable to keep her arousal undercover, and those sounds were the last attempt. For almost four days, she's been ensnared in a trap, and has known no happiness or relief. She hasn't seen Alphys in as much time, and now that she not only is, but is holding her, and underwater, too..._

_She opens her eye – and blinks._

_Alphys is looking at her, her eyes half-closed and her face as red as her own. She looks, and takes in what she sees, and when she combines it with that laugh..._

_Now, she truly sees Undyne, and her heart begins to race, amazed by herself but unable to even try to hold herself back. She keeps her eyes on Undyne's, noticing that she, too, is breathing shakily, and she understands, and knows Undyne does, too._

_Alphys reaches up, and Undyne clings to her the second her fingers land upon her cheeks. She grits her teeth, her hands holding tighter, and when Alphys feels that, she is again surprised by her ardour._

_When they kiss, at first, it's for air, something that keeps them distracted, but only for a few seconds._

_The second Alphys knows she has enough air, she changes the kiss, in a way that she knew would drive them both insane, but also needed, so badly it hurts..._

_Undyne returns it, in a way that has Alphys reeling with growing need, with increased want, her body aching for release, intimate release, alongside this woman, this beautiful, out-of-her-league woman._

_Undyne sees it that way, too – but for herself. I_ _t makes her hesitate, but Alphys does not. She listens to her body, her instincts, and lets go, knowing she has nothing to hide from Undyne, now, not after all they have shared, over years..._

_Alphys moves her hips back, then parts her legs, and before Undyne could even open her eye, they were wrapped tight around Undyne's slender waist. She feels those legs, feels the pressure of them – and feels, against herself, a shocking heat, one that spread between them._

_In seconds, Undyne has Alphys on her back, and she feels Alphys quiver against her. She pulls away, her face going up and against Undyne's shoulder, and her hands move up between them. Undyne blinks, wanting more kisses, and she nuzzles Alphys's cheek._

_Alphys can't move for a moment, unable to follow each of her body's commands, because this feeling is so overwhelmingly good, so alien and so familiar,_ she _is the one gritting her teeth. She has no idea how to explain it, but she cannot deny it, and needs Undyne to know._

_Undyne, however, hears only the sounds of Alphys's pleasure, sounds she has no idea she makes – because she knows she has no voice to make a sound – except she does, and those sounds are driving Undyne wild._

_Alphys feels Undyne press against herself, their bodies so close together that there was no space, no water, no air between them, now. Alphys feels her mind focus on that, and she groans, expecting it to be silent and thus keeping her feelings mostly hidden. She knows she's probably pushing Undyne into going too fast, but she can't help it: it feels so right, so perfectly normal, and Undyne seems to be enjoying it a great deal, too._

_But when they both hear that sound, one caught by the waters and amplified, it sounds exactly like what Alphys tried to hide in the first place: deep, uncontrollable lust, a kind she usually only feels midway through her cycle. It swirls around them, embarrassing Alphys so much that she suddenly wants to drown._

_The facts were in, and it's clear: her voice is not only capable of sound, but within a sound that is unexpectedly beautiful - to them both, a mystifying experience for Alphys._

_It makes Undyne's brain retreat completely between her legs, because she's heard similar sounds to it – but none like this – and it engulfs her, washing away everything hopeless and bad and terrible, and replacing it with feelings of desire and yearning. She hears it, and hears pain, confused, pain, because Alphys is ashamed of it, all while Undyne only wants to hear more._

_So, she shifts, pushing Alphys down completely against the sand, and she lowers down upon her forearms, cradling Alphys's face between them, and kisses those lips, once more._

_But again, it's different._

_Once Alphys has enough air, everything changes._

_Alphys is already dizzy and aroused, and her body is already ahead of her brain, leaving her desperate to catch up – to understand. Her arms go around Undyne's neck, her legs tighten their grasp of Undyne's hips, and she returns it, her eyes fluttering closed when she feels their tongues touch._

_Both jolt, the feeling so unlike any they've had so far, so intense that they cannot feel anything else. All they can do is keep kissing._

_Undyne's eye closes, barely feeling herself weep, but she knows she is, because her breaths are shaky and uneven. She weeps, because she wonders if she's now dead, and this is her beautiful afterlife._

_Alphys is shocked when she understands this, and begins to cry tears of her own, trying to deepen their kiss without really knowing how. Each kiss is delicious, but also clumsy, two people learning, together. She doesn't understand why Undyne still kisses her after a sound like_ that _– until she suddenly feels warmth, between her legs – alongside her own._

_At the same time, their eyes open and meet, using this pause to refresh Alphys's lungs._

_There is no doubt, however, despite what they tell themselves. Both are on the exact same page, without knowing until now that they're reading the same book._

_Alphys raises her hands between them, and when Undyne's eye looks at them, she says, ‘Please?', her fingers trembling and barely shaping the word. She hesitates, unsure of how to sign Undyne's name, so she improvises._

_She breaks their kiss, wanting to make her intentions as clear as possible, so that Undyne doesn't hesitate the moment she understands. Undyne looks upset by this, until she looks into Alphys's eyes, and sees how serious she is. She trembles, keeping her body painfully still, and nods._

_Alphys smiles, a gesture that serves to make Undyne almost lose it. Instead, she watches Alphys draw invisible shapes between them, and she feels a sinking within her belly; she doesn't understand._

_Alphys struggles to find the right way to sign Undyne's name, until she finally gets it, and lights up, again (Undyne's eye rolls up for a moment at that, knowing that if she doesn't shut it, she will ruin this)._

_Using the words ‘undine' and ‘waterfall' - and also 'beautiful', unable to hold it back - Alphys traces the name carefully, making sure Undyne watches. She does, and when Alphys stops, she points her hands upon Undyne's chest, above her breasts but below her collarbone. She then signs it, again, before pointing, again._

_Undyne blinks. “Me?” she tries, her voice hoarse._

_Alphys nods, clapping her hands together twice, before signing her own name (‘lizard', ‘yellow', ‘shy') and pointing to herself._

_“You. Alphys,” Undyne realised, and again, Alphys lights up excitedly, her tail swaying so hard that it kicked up a cloud of sand beneath them. Undyne laughs, unable to help it; the way Alphys is looking at her now is so endearing that she can't help but laugh with the pleasure from it._

_Alphys blushes, hearing it and feeling it, like they had with her own, and it clouds her mind. She closes her eyes briefly, before looking up at Undyne and raising her hands up again._

_When Undyne nods, Alphys hesitates, before shakily signing only one word, the only word she needs._

_‘Together.'_

_Undyne watches her, and for some reason, the gesture soothes her, despite not truly understanding why. She shakes her head._

_Alphys nods, pointing to Undyne, then to herself, before bringing her hands up between them and saying, ‘Together,' once more._

_“Me, and you...” Undyne tries._

_Alphys nods excitedly, her heart racing with hope, and she repeats it, her hands shaking so hard that it was a bit difficult._

_“Me, and you...” Undyne repeats. Alphys stares up at her, mentally screaming the word, repeating each gesture, and finally, on the fourth try, Undyne gets it._

_She is shocked, the words escaping between her lips so unreal that they must be. She wants them to be real._

_“You, and me,” Undyne says, her voice softer than the feel of Alphys's cheek beneath her hand. “Together.”_

_Alphys covers her mouth, her eyes squeezing shut, and she nods, starting to sob. She can't help it; this doesn't feel real, while also feeling like the realest thing she's ever experienced. She keeps nodding, trying to calm herself, feeling a kind of happiness that reaches above and beyond how she felt at the abyss, even as she comes._

_She feels her wrists being held, and she relaxes them, so that Undyne can pull her hands from her mouth. Undyne pulls them up to her cheeks, closing her eye when she feels how amazing that is, before opening it. She sits up a little, and she then does something that both warms – and then saddens – them._

_She signs it back, her eye darting between Alphys. ‘You and me, together.'_

_Alphys starts laughing, again, unable to stop – and unable to control it. She is so happy that she forgets that the water is not air, and when she gasps between laughs – then chokes, her eyes flaring with fear._

_Undyne pales, trying to kiss her, but Alphys is panicking, unable to breathe, and she fights Undyne, shocking them both._

_She can't help it; everything is fading, and she doesn't want to go._

_She knows she must, but she doesn't want to._

_Undyne comes to the same conclusion – one of them is waking up – and quickly, before everything vanishes, she cries out._

_“Alphys, tomorrow, please! Please visit me--!!”_

_It's the last thing Alphys hears, before their paradise shatters, and melts into dust._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that the chapters have no set word count, and I do understand how annoying that can be. But I don't do it because I want to be annoying; I sometimes need a full shift to start over, and that can usually only be done with chapter breaks.
> 
> If anyone retreads this, you'll note that some of the chapters have changed, and chapters have stuff cut and added to separate chapters. Now you know why; it keeps everything a touch more organised.


	20. Carnal Connection (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *coughs shyly, then ducks under the couch*

Alphys jolted awake, gasping for breath – and coughing, when she found it. She blindly fumbled, and pulled her puffer out from her apron's pocket, absently noting that she forgot to change out of it. She laid back down and quickly used it, before her mind could black out. She breathed it in, and felt her body calming down.

Once calm, she replaced the puffer, then opened her eyes, lying flat on her back and staring up at the ceiling. Her vision blurred, then cracked, before clearing – only to fill up with more tears.

She wanted to go back. She wanted to stay there. She felt so hurt that she'd woken up just as Undyne knew what she was saying – preventing it from happening at all.

 _Was she real?_ Alphys wondered. _Is that actually her name? What if I'm just insane? Maybe that poison is finally working within me..._

Only two of those things were true.

She looked at her hands, holding them up toward the ceiling, to look at them, expecting them to be sticky or stiff with drying, flaking blood.

She then sat up with a gasp, her eyes glued to them – before she looked lower, and patted herself down.

She was soaking wet.

Alphys laid there, her eyes huge, thousands of explanations going through her tired mind.

_It's sweat; you were just getting horny._

_It's from sleep-masturbating._

_It's both._

It was neither, and she damn well knew it.

She got out of bed and stood up, finding her clothes bogged down with water, dripping upon the warped linoleum. She held her hands back up, and found them to be clean, and wondered how her puffer had managed to stay dry.

Whatever it was, there was no way she could pretend that this was just an unusual reaction to a very intense dream. She knew that the second she'd breathed in through her nose.

She smelt like Waterfall.

_“Alphys, tomorrow, please! Please visit me--!!”_

Alphys sat back down, leaning forward and covering her mouth, her eyes wide and blank. Her mind played back the dream, and that was the last grain of dust in the urn.

 _I will,_ she told Undyne's memory, devastated that she hadn't been able to say it before they parted.

_I will._

_But first..._

* * *

Undyne woke up with a similar jolt, her body uncurling from the ball it had been during sleep, and just sat there, catching her breath and trying to slow down her heart.

Unlike Alphys, Undyne had no hesitation when it came to accepting the truth, however bizarre it was. She knew they'd connected, somehow, and it had been real, so real that she was shocked to find no sand beneath her.

When she started laughing, it shocked her. It was a hearty belly-laugh, one than had her falling to her back, one hand upon her stomach, while the other covered her eyes, feeling her entire body go hot, and she squirmed from how nice that felt.

_She wanted me. And I wanted her._

It was amazing to her. She'd feared that, if they ever met, Alphys wouldn't like her looks. They were very different, after all, and it would have been understandable, even if it broke Undyne's heart.

But Alphys showed no signs of distaste. The second she looked at Undyne, her expression changed to one of shocked, wondrous surprise. Once they embraced, her face changed, again – and Undyne shivered, remembering it. Because it was the face of a woman who loved what she saw.

_Even when she touched my eye, she didn't flinch. She looked sad, and regretful. But not grossed out._

_Why?_

_‘You and me, together...'_

_That's why,_ she told herself. _Because she knows you, just as much as you know her. Because she feels like she's already met you, and has shared so much with you._

_She wanted to... she asked if... she said..._

Undyne's hand lowered from her eyes, opening them and staring up, the surface above her so far that she could only see dark ceiling.

 _She_ wanted _me._ She _wanted_ me _._

Undyne bit her lip, and the hand she'd kept against her stomach started to slide lower, feeling her own body beneath her fingertips. She could tell that she was still pretty beat up, and knew she needed to be careful.

_But first..._

_She wanted me..._

Undyne's hand slipped beneath her underwear, and her eye closed, relaxing. Her other hand cupped a breast, and when she imagined her hands as Alphys's – now that she knew how they felt – and slid her hand lower, her fingers touching soft red curls before sliding the tips along her folds, teasing the uneven flesh that poked between smaller, thicker folds. She liked to compare her cunt to an echoflower, her inner lips like petals that protected a softer, sensitive centre. She shivered, her nipples hardening, and she smiled.

She raised her knees and moved them apart, sitting up a little in order to make it easier for her fingers to touch that centre. She prised those petals apart further, and her fingers, now slick, moved up, touching with light fingers, trying to emulate how Alphys touched her.

It worked; she felt a wave of need slam into her, and she moaned softly, happy that she was hidden. She brushed the nub of her clit, and she arched up with a gasp, her grin widening.

Now, it was serious, and now, it was the only thing that mattered.

* * *

Alphys paced for a moment, after peeling her wet clothes off and tossing them into the laundry basket – before wincing and grabbing them back out, instead hanging them up to dry, first. She couldn't wear that apron until it was cleaned, because she didn't want to get caught.

She didn't want to lose one she felt was the most important person in her life, and getting fired would indeed make her lost.

She then changed the bedclothes, replacing them with dry, warm spares, and she climbed into the blankets, clad only in her bra and underwear, shivering from how cold she was, now. She wondered if she should bother trying to shower, but she was so exhausted, and she left it.

Instead, she finally allowed herself to think about Undyne – and felt her entire body grow light and warm.

 _Undyne. My echo. No... she's my echo_ -flower _._

She grinned, amused by this apt description. Now that she knew what Undyne looked like, she couldn't believe her luck. She was as beautiful as an echoflower, as bright and shimmering as they crystals imbedded within the walls of her home, and it was a kind of beauty that she never thought could exist, let alone within a person interested in her.

She'd never, ever been pursued by people as beautiful as Undyne; most were like herself, deemed unattractive and undesirable, and like knows like. _She_ didn't find _them_ ugly; not exactly. Just not attractive to her.

_Come to think of it, when was the last time I was attracted to anyone?_

She had no answers, save one: Toriel. She'd had a crush on Toriel for a while, but once they got to know each other better, it faded, and became friendly.

_Undyne is gorgeous..._

Alphys shivered, then sat up, blushing. She wanted... she _needed_... to come, now. After all that had happened, and what almost happened, she was heated up and desperate for the release she'd been robbed of, by her own damned lungs.

When it came to this, Alphys found it easiest when near or within water, needing only her hands, as for some reason, the water made it work, made it better.

But when dry, it was different. It was why she'd been caught at it so easily by her mother, because it was much harder to hide than a hand. In truth, it had been many, _many_ years since she'd needed to resort to _this_ , being content in either her shower, or the abyss, or, more often, both.

Alphys looked around, making sure she was indeed alone, and found herself safe. She reached under her pillows – and pulled out what she needed, already feeling aroused: another pillow.

She had only one for _this_ , and she kept it hidden, despite it lacking any evidence for its intended use. It was rather boring to look at, just a regular pillow dressed in a bright green case (she loved green), a little flat and floppy. But when Alphys sat up on her knees and moved it between her legs, her brain shorted out, memory crashing into her, reminding her how amazing this method was, and suddenly, she lost all shame, and once again let her body rule.

She lowered down upon the folded pillow, her hands going to it to adjust it, before she shifted her hips – and smiled, feeling just the right amount of pleasure she needed. She lowered down, looking for a specific book, but then stopped.

Instead, she thought of Undyne. She closed her eyes and pictured Undyne between her legs, and it worked: now, all she knew was dreamy memory, but a memory so powerful and real that it was easy to surrender to.

She shifted her hips, rubbing herself slowly, the friction of the pillow not as firm as she knew Undyne was – and _felt_ – when she was between her legs.

But it was easy to picture it, and when she did, she gasped, shifting her hips again, the spark of pleasure so intense that it made her stop, worried she would breathe too hard.

She waited, but felt her breaths were actually okay. She smiled, and closed her eyes. She leaned down, bringing her hands forward and digging them into the mattress below.

Then, her mind showed her Undyne, but one that was speculation, as she was now naked, and she had to improvise. But her face was the most important part, and she could picture that easiest – especially when she remembered the look of desire, one aimed at Alphys, herself – and from there, it was so easy.

* * *

Undyne was ahead of her, as now, she'd increased the speed of her fingers over her clit – while her other hand moved within her, two fingers reaching deep – just deep enough – to make Undyne cry out, a soft, weak sound, a poor representation of this pleasure.

She imagined her fingers to be Alphys's, and wondered if Alphys's fingers were long enough. She hoped so, because she wanted those fingers in place of her own, pushing in hard, deep, arching up and rubbing that secret soft spot. Her breaths were ragged, her body reminding her that she was exhausted and starving, and this was probably not wise...

Undyne smirked, not pausing once, her legs bent and her thighs parted wide, her face tilting up and against the floor of the pool, her body moving with her.

It felt like all the clichés she knew were foolish: heat, trembles, dry mouth, drooling mouth, lost breaths and heartbeats, burning skin that had been scorched into her, as if Alphys had branded her skin with her name.

She growled, a sound that slid into a groan, and finally, _finally_ , she was close.

* * *

Alphys had started under her blankets, but now, she reached up and tore them away, not even pausing, her skin too hot to be covered. She was pleased with her decision to be almost naked, as it was a sensual delight she'd never given herself, before.

She'd never wanted to show her body, even when doing this alone, as if she were certain that Gaster's cameras reached this far. It wouldn’t of surprised her...

She stopped, angry at herself. _That_ thought had destroyed what she'd already built up, and she felt hatred toward him, simply because he was powerful enough to do that.

Alphys opened her eyes and stared ahead, waiting for her mind to clear. It was difficult at first, because Undyne was connected to Gaster, too.

But then, she saw a memory, and it swept away any other thoughts.

Undyne, sitting up with her hands in front of them, her eyes on Alphys's, as she signed, ‘You and me, together,” smiling shyly and a bit proudly, her face stunning when graced with a real smile.

Alphys leaned forward, adjusting the pillow, and started anew, but this time, she found herself increasing her own pace, something she'd never done, before. She was a slow, quiet woman; of course her orgasms were also slow quiet, save gasps and squeaks.

This was like nothing she'd ever done to herself. This, even while knowing that she straddled, squeezed, and rubbed against her pillow, made this suddenly feel... _very_ _real_. It felt like what sex was described as in romance novels, and she'd been unaware that she was capable of such speed until now. 

And now that she did, she didn't stop. Her bed creaked, another first, but she couldn't stop.

Because all she could see was Undyne, and truly felt as if she really was between Alphys's legs, only with her hands cupping her breasts, her own legs parted.

She imagined signing to Undyne, ‘To me, this is making love, not just fucking,' and imagined Undyne lighting up, agreeing with her, before taking her hands and pulling her back down...

Alphys cried out, a sharp exhale of strained, high-pitched breath, feeling how effective this truly was, and finding herself unable to control it.

She didn't want to.

* * *

Undyne was no longer in Deltarune. She wasn't even in Waterfall. She was somewhere else, someplace new, a mix of warmth and water, and could only imagine Alphys atop her, now. She slid her fingers free, instead using that hand and holding it to her chest, her fingers wandering over hard nipples.

“Fuck...!” Undyne cried out, her fingers going to her mouth, imagining they were Alphys's, that her clit was being rubbed against Alphys's own, something she felt. She was also able to picture Alphys naked, but in a similar way: with guesswork, going by the way her figure looked through her nightgown.

 _Beautiful_ , Undyne knew, more tears coming to her eyes. _She's so beautiful. I can't believe she's real..._

_I want... I want her..._

_I want her to be with me..._

When Undyne cried out, next, it was mixed with a sob, feeling close, now, and wanted to draw it out and make it last.

* * *

Alphys felt herself growing closer, and she suddenly slowed down, still faster than usual, and still exactly what she needed.

She could feel how hot her body was; she was sweating everywhere, and was again glad she was almost naked. She was red, almost all over, and each breath was exhaled with a high-pitched, broken cry.

 _I want her,_ she screamed out silently, feeling her whole body start to shudder, so close that it was painful.

_I want her! I want to be with her! I want to be hers!_

Tears streaked down her cheeks, but she didn't stop.

She needed this...

Her eyes opened, and for a moment, all she saw were tears. She blinked them away – and faltered, her body almost stopping.

* * *

She needed this...

Undyne was biting down upon her hand, almost scared by how strong this felt, and wondered if she was strong enough to take such a thing.

Her arm was tired, but her fingers wouldn't quit. Her body moved with her, undulating like the very waves that birthed her, and suddenly, her free hand slapped down hard against the surface of the floor.

 _“Alphy...!”_ she hears herself yell, not even noticing that she'd left the “s” out, her lisp no longer catching on it. “Alphy... Alphy... _please_...!”

That time, she heard it, and didn't correct herself; it was easier to say, but it was also... _cute_.

 _Very_ cute.

Alphy _is cute,_ she thought, a tiny thought that made her heart sing alongside her voice, as now, all she could do was sing. She _always_ finished while still singing; now, she started when she is nearly done.

She poured everything within it, all of her feelings, and with it, she was almost there...

* * *

_Almost there...!_

Alphys's eyes opened, just for a moment, and she had no idea why – until she kept them open, unable to look away.

* * *

Undyne stared back in shock, despite barely being able to see. This time, _she_ blinked her tears away, and when she realised what she was seeing - somehow - she couldn't help it.

She keened out, reaching for the image of Alphys in front of her, seeing only her body, mere inches away from herself.

* * *

Alphys cried out, too, her hand reaching out in front of her, as now, she could see Undyne upon her bed – even while her hair swirled around her, tossed by water.

* * *

Neither stopped their bodies, instead finding a way to match the other's pace – before realising they had been, all along.

When their hands meet, it felt _real_. Their hands were solid, fingers entwined, one slippery with water and one hot and dry with heat.

When their palms touched, that was _it_.

Both fell, the wave of pleasure they both felt crashing into them, and it was a struggle to keep eyes open, both wanting to watch the other come, while overwhelmed by herself coming...

* * *

Undyne's voice grew hoarse, then raised in pitch, trying to say Alphys's name and not even certain if it worked, because she was going blind, going deaf, losing her mind…

But she could still feel Alphys's hand, and knew that if she could feel _that_ , she was still sane...

* * *

Alphys started to fumble, her own senses dulling, unable to experience this degree of pleasure without feeling it with all of herself.

And she _could_.

She could feel that pleasure, and it was delicious and sweet.

But she could also feel Undyne's fingers dig into the back of her hand, trembling, as her own was cooled by the waters that gloved that hand..

* * *

They heard the whispers of each other's names, Alphys's voice breaking through the water.

In the highest peak, she heard it, and sobbed.

“ _Un...dy...ne! Undyne...!”_

Alphys then heard, at her peak, Undyne's deep, rich voice break through, and covers her heart.

_“Oh... Alphy...! Alphy...!!”_

Then, in one voice, a harmony of bliss:

“ _Yes...!!"_

Then, their hands wrenched apart, and they both fell back, once again retreating beneath the cloak of sleep, and once again, with absolutely no say in the matter.

_Even then, even then..._

Both slept with smiles upon their faces, ones that remained until they awoke a second time.

**END OF PART TWO**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *stays hidden until tomorrow, too*


	21. Vile Violence Vials

**PART THREE: DID YOU FORGET?**

Undyne slept through the rest of the night, then the morning, before finally waking up between evening and night. She would've slept longer, but the second she felt something splash into the water, she was awake – and swimming as fast as she could, her eye barely open as she hurried, reaching out—

\--and she pulled herself onto one of the planks, bringing her feet up quickly and folding them close to her, shivering, her whole body awash in tremors. Her eye was staring at the water, waiting for them to light up into a death trap, but she saw nothing.

She kept waiting, anyway, to hear the zap of electricity, one from above the surface, just one little dip of that rod into the shallows and she was fried...

Then, “undyne!”

She didn't move. She was too afraid. She knew she _heard_ the voice, and _didn't_ see words, but she was still terrified that she was being watched, after all. Or that Gaster had somehow found a way to record sans's voice to fool her...

Except, it didn't sound like that. It sounded real.

 _What is real?_ she wondered. _This, or that dream...?_

She felt so many things hurting her body all at once, and her emotions were now added to the list. She was exhausted, faint from blood loss, still trying to navigate without a left eye, wearing only a pair of slightly-inappropriate underpants, one she'd worn because she'd planned to reveal herself to her siren, to make love with her...

Only she got captured, lost her eye, lost blood, lost _sanity_ , and...

She didn't realise she was sobbing, until she heard, closer, “undyne, gaster says you can talk to me; the janitors are the ones you need to avoid. not me.”

 _Janitors_.

Her sobs stopped, so suddenly, as suddenly as they began, when her mind suddenly – unhelpfully – reminded her of what she'd dreamt... and what happened, after... somehow, not a dream, but also a dream...

 _She touched my fingers... she held my hand... she stared into my eye, as both of her own started to cloud over, something I never got to see until now, and I want more, I need more, I_ deserve _more…_

_‘You and me, together.'_

She lifted her hands up – and had an idea, to test it, to see if she could prove it to someone knowing sign language. sans knew it; if she was able to trust him, however.

She wanted to. She wanted to trust someone...

She never got the chance.

Before she tried, she called out, softly, “Do you promise me, that what you're saying is true, what you are _going_ to say _remains_ true, and none of it will be twisted into lies? Swear it on your _brother's_ _life_ , or else I stay here.”

sans was quiet, and she knew he was angry. She didn't care if she hurt his feelings. He'd done worse to her, but she still needed him, and needed to know that she could trust him. Using his brother was the only way.

“yes, i promise.”

“What did you throw in?”

“clothes.”

Undyne hesitated, then decided to gamble and trust him, anyway. She slipped back into the water, swimming low, and found that he was telling the truth: they were folded into squares, but she saw them: two suits, made of both cloth and magic, in order to fit best upon the wearer, to their best comfort.

She pulled them apart, and found one navy blue one-piece, with generous open panels at the sides, reaching to the top of her knees. She liked it, but when she checked the other one...

It was black, two-piece suit, the top like a sports bra, the bottom like biker shorts, but waterproof.

She stared at it, terrified that this was a horrible, _horrible_ joke.

She grabbed that set, her hands fumbling as she unfolded them, and she stared, unable to do anything else.

She was right. It was the suit she'd worn in the dream.

 _No,_ she thought, _you probably recognise it from last time—_

_You destroyed them before you could see them. That's not it._

_These are the ones you dreamt of._

Even the sizes were different; back then, she was barely a large, and now, she was an extra large, her height almost unfair, as only Asgore was taller than her. It was surprising to see clothes made so well for her, with such comfortable materials, absently realising it must have been a custom job for her.

That didn't make it any less terrifying.

She bit her lip, then tucked them under an arm and swam back under the dome, taking her time and looking them over, the only differences being that one was black and two-piece, and the other was blue and one-piece.

_The black. It has to be the black._

She wanted it, because it reminded her of what happened, and she never wanted to forget what happened.

_And... if she does come back, and sees me like this, she'll know it's me, and it was real._

_I just hope the Alphys that held my hand while coming alongside me is the same as the Alphys who's a janitor._

_I want to_ see _that passion, that light, the soft squeaks of overwhelming pleasure, but_ with _me, atop me, beneath me, connected to me, by body and soul, and once she starts, I never want her to stop..._

Her hand had drifted between her legs before she realised it, and it made her jump – but choke back a laugh. It was real, and again, she knew she had Alphys to thank for it.

Instead, with a small smile, she jumped back up and put them on, noting the plastic bag of underwear tucked between them. She was appreciative of this, too, and she quickly changed, completely, before diving back down. (She left the spare underwear on a plank, to dry. For sentiment.)

When Undyne surfaced in the shallow end, she raised her head only to her eyes, making sure her left showed, too. She was still angry with sans, and had every intention of making him feel bad for it.

“he sent me to give you those, with a radio, and to give you food, but _after_  i look you over and do some tests, for your progress.” He said this as he moved around, avoiding her gaze and folding out a small table, one he littered with medical materials, a boxy old plug-in radio – and a large box of something that smelt heavenly.

She never found out what it was, and strangely, it would end up one of her biggest regrets.

She moved up to her chin. “Progress?” she repeated, her eye on the box.

“yes. _he_ wants an update every night at sundown.”

_Sundown?_

She was surprised. She'd slept that long, and still felt like shit?

“Why?”

“in case you heal early, and he can start ahead of schedule.”

Revealing that had been a huge mistake, one he immediately knew the second it left him, and she grinned, her face furious – but focused.

“Don't worry,” she told him. “I'm _not_ okay. I don't need to worsen it to prove a point.”

“can you please come out, now, then?”

She rolled her eye, but nodded, making sure that none of her hair hid the left side of her face, and always making sure that that side faced sans. He unfolded a chair, and she held her arm out automatically, as she sat down in it; she remembered this bullshit, too.

In silence, she let him take her vitals, sitting in the chair with a bored stance, as if she wasn't being graded on her progress in order to become yet another lamb for Gaster to slaughter.

She smiled thinly, the second she felt the needle poke around her scales and sink into her vein, sucking the blood from her veins like a clinical vampire.

It was the loss of blood, however, that made her bravado vanish.

After only two tubes, she was starting to find it hard to breathe, and her chest felt heavy, pressed down...

 _“Stop,”_ she snapped, realising that he was taking too much, and too fast. She was still sitting up, but her body was barely responsive, even when she tried to grab his hands. “sans, stop, _stop!”_

“it's just four more tubes, undyne.”

But it isn't " just" anything. By now, Undyne had broken into a cold sweat, and her eyelid was heavy. The water was good for healing wounds, but not for replacing blood. She assumed that sans had thought about this, seeing as how _he_ was responsible for 90% of that lost blood.

She deserved a _transfusion_ , not a _withdrawal_.

_Now, he's taking the last 10%, and I’m gonna die..._

She wasn't kidding.

Already, she could see her vision begin to tunnel, her ears filled with high-pitched ringing, before going completely deaf…

Despite this, sans didn't stop. He knew what he was doing to her, but was desperately ignoring it, knowing that if he _didn't_ do this, she _would_ die, all while knowing that if he did, she might _still_ die.

He _wasn't_ trying to kill her.

sans was trying to keep her _here_ , in this hangar, until he figured out a way to get her out of here, with no way of tracing it back to himself.

He was following all of Gaster's orders to perfection, despite knowing his father was wrong, but sans went ahead, in order to make sure that the blame, for what he knew was going to happen very soon, was not _his_ fault, but _Gaster's_.

sans wanted to show Gaster what his arrogance did to people. He wanted Gaster to understand what these actions meant on his part, and what scaring loyalty into people led to: silence, until too late.

Undyne, however, was scared, now. She couldn't move, her body heavy and limp, and she tried to get up, to push him away, to rip the needle from her arm and strangle him with the IV cord…

…but not even her fingers would obey her. She was paralysed in her own body, now, unable to move, to think, or even breathe.

_None of it makes sense, anymore..._

Save one crucial thing, one she needed to get out before she died, in hopes of killing _sans_ , too - with _guilt_...

“sans...” she managed to whisper out, her voice small and hurt. “Y-you... are... _d-dead_... to m-me...”

The doubled meaning of that comment made him flinch, but he only had one tube left, and he couldn't look at her, once again wishing he could cry, cry and make this stop, to set him free, to set his family free...

Yes, his _entire_ family, _excluding_ Gaster. All _three_ of them.

He heard Undyne begin to choke, her body completely motionless. He closed his eyes, his fingers shaking, hoping he didn't spill this tube and have to start again...

She did the only thing she could do, now: she wept, furious, because she was promised a week, and sans was murdering her before she could even begin...

_I'll never see her, again._

_She'll come here and find me gone._

_She'd think it wasn't real, and it will hurt her._

_She won't hear my echo, anymore, and be alone, alone, forever, alone, because I dared to love her…_

She didn't want to die without telling someone, anyone, her deepest pain, even if it was someone as uselessly cruel as sans.

Between gasps, Undyne hissed out, her eye no longer on him, but staring up blindly at the ceiling: “ _Love... you... Alphy...”_

Hearing it aloud, within air, made her smile, just a flicker, and it helped her focus on that love, on how beautiful Alphys was, how soft and soothing she felt, how much regret Undyne had to be forced to abandon her...

It was her last thought, before she tried, one last time, to get enough air – and fail. Her eye rolled up, and in complete silence, she gave up.

That made sans fumble, just as the last tube was filled, but it was at a cost to Undyne: she was unconscious.

She was, once again, dying.

And, once again, it was sans's fault.

He looked at her, now, bandaging her arm up and bending it, to clot the wound. She slumped in the chair, her other limbs loose and heavy, and her head was tilted back, her eye closed. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and her lips were parted slightly, but she didn't move.

sans mover closer, touching her face and tapping her pale cheek, calling for her, but she didn't even twitch. He placed his hand upon her chest, and felt her heart racing, desperate to keep alive while her muscles starved to death from oxygen depletion.

She was too weak to even choke, now.

She was too weak to even _breathe_ , now...

“fuck,” he cried. He'd gone too far. _“no, no, no, fuck--!”_

Quickly, he moved away, turning around and opening the doors, looking up and down the hall quickly. It was night shift, about to go into graveyard shift, but not for another half-hour - still much too soon for Toriel.

Instead, he ran out into the hallway, waving his arms at the camera.

_what the hell is wrong with gaster?!_

_why hasn't he already sent someone, anyone, when he watched the whole thing happen, live?!_

_why didn't he stop me?!_

* * *

Gaster’s eyes were drawn over, and he blinked, surprised.

His eldest child was hoping up and down like a lunatic, but his eyes were fixed on the camera.

The longer Gaster watched, the dimming sans's eyes became, and he was stunned.

What could possibly be so important that sans would do something so stupid?

By the time those eyes went dark, Sans had clearly lost his patience, and he turned around and broke into a run, clearly rushing to the infirmary as fast as Gaster had ever seen him run.

_The infirmary?_

_Well,_ Gaster thought, once again wondering if the lack of cameras within the hangar was a good idea, but shook it off _. I suppose I have to see for myself, first._

He was confident, now. He was positive that exposure to Alphys and Toriel – or both – would bring Undyne hope, and thus encourage her to work harder to get well and heal faster.

That way, if she healed early, Gaster could start ahead of schedule, and save a lot of time already lost.

His smile curled a little.

 _And I will even use the exact same patient, as before,_ he decided, standing up and grabbing the Howdy-Do.

 _I'll help her along,_ he decided, his grin widening. _I'll remind her how easily her life can be erased._

_And if she continues to be a problem..._

Gaster grinned. He didn't expect there to be any problems after _this_ visit...

Hubris was Gaster's best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you know already whom to sans is referring, when he talks about family, don't say it in the comments. I know it's obvious, but just in case - no spoilers!


	22. Bloodless Take-Down

Alphys awoke suddenly, her eyes snapping open and her body reacting to something she didn't even know, yet. She scrambled up to the head of the bed, grabbing her blanket and throwing it over herself, shuddering with nameless fear.

Her hands covered her heart, feeling it race painfully, feeling that the skin between was cold with sweat. She looked around, then winced, grabbed her glasses, and did it, again.

Nothing was strange, save the fact that she had no idea what time it was, or what had scared her awake.

She hid under the blanket, trying to calm her trembling, and when she closed her eyes, she tried to tell herself everything was alright...

…before her eyes opened slowly, and she looked at her hands, seeing the outline of them under the dark of both room and blanket. One of them felt... extra-cold, and when she felt lonely at the thought of it, she remembered why – and pulled it to her chest, pressing her palm right over her heart.

_She saw me._

_She held my hand._

_It was like Waterfall..._

_Was it even real?_

The longer Alphys thought about the, the more she doubted it.

It sounded ridiculous: her mind, connecting to Gaster's Asset, in sleep, while doing things that felt real and true, but also completely inappropriate, with someone she'd never met but already knew so well, doing things with her that she'd never imagined doing to _anyone_ else, before...

_‘You and me, together.'_

Alphys whimpered softly, closing her eyes, again. Waking up alone and in wet clothes made it feel real, but of course it was wrong, a dream within a dream, both so real and so fake all at once...

That _had_ to be it.

She'd had them, before, especially nightmares, and suddenly felt like a complete fool.

Of course none of it had been real.

Of course the Asset wasn't named Undyne.

Of course she wasn't Alphys's echoflower...

Of course she'd just fallen asleep, after tea with Mettaton, after crying her heart out without being able to explain why...

 _I hate myself_ , she thought, her claws digging into her scalp, but not hard enough to break skin.

Not this time. She stopped before she could.

Instead, she unwrapped the blanket from herself, her eyes closed before they could fill with tears – but of course they did, anyway, blinding her. She stumbled back down onto the bed, landing on her knees and making it creak, and she just let herself fall forward, burying her face into the mattress, her tears worsening.

Then, it finally caught up to her.

The second she let out that first round of sobs, she went silent with shock, slowly raising her head and looking to the side, her eyes landing on what should have been impossible.

But there it was: her work uniform, hung up to dry.

Alphys stared at it like she was seeing a phantom, a kind of ghost that went feral, and cannibalised other monsters, but those were fairy tales, of course... 

But it was just her clothes, including her work apron.

She felt her breaths catch several times as she pushed herself to her feet, her eyes locked on that uniform.

Once she was standing, she found her eyes distracted, again. She was only in her underwear and bra. She looked behind her – and blushed, quickly leaning over and grabbing _that_ pillow, shoving it back to where it belonged, mortified.

Right after, once again, she was a statue, and her hand remained on the corner of her pillow. She turned around and looked to the foot of the bed, and then leaned over to it.

Her palm touched the sheets, and they felt wet. She smelt her palm, and smelt Waterfall.

She slammed down onto the floor, her legs just liquifying, her whole body awash in adrenaline and shock, knowing that if she didn't calm down, she risked a third asthma attack, and she would need to go to the hospital.

_And Deltarune employees only go to Deltarune infirmaries._

She struggled to stay calm, moving herself back until she hit the wall opposite her bed. She covered her mouth, her eyes closing, and she burst into tears.

They were different, however. The moment she started, she heard the change in her tone of voice, and with it, knew for sure that she didn't need to worry about another attack.

Now, she was laughing hysterically, pausing between to make room for shocked sobs.

For the first time in her tiny life, she felt like she was someone.

Just... _someone_ , to another person, a kind of someone that means a great deal.

She knew nobody needed her, and it had always hurt her.

Things were different, now.

Someone needed her, after all. In a purposeful, meaningful way.

Metta only needed her for automaton bodies and gossip, and work didn't need her at all.

This was different.

This was... _real_.

She was needed, not for what someone could get out of her, but for companionship, friendship...

_Oh god, I hope more, I want more, I need more..._

She knew more connections were possible, now, after such... _tsunami-_ like... results. Especially with what followed - another dream within a dream...

But if it _was_ real, _somehow_ ,  _why_  and _how_ it was possible? 

How _had_ they connected? How _were_ they connected, still?

Why was their connection intimate? Because their companionship had been, and it was the only language they were both fluent in?

Oddly enough, Alphys answered yes to almost all of it, because it did make sense – except the _hows_ and the _why_.

 _That's what I need to find out, tonight,_ she knew, her eyes set and her chin lifting a little, pushing herself to her feet slowly and padding over to the apron, touching it: it was only a little damp, now, which meant that Alphys had slept most of the day away.

She still had a while before she needed to get ready, and wondered if she should try to use it to sleep, more. Her mind, however, was too awake, too wired, going over and over the perfect way to formally meet Undyne, changing it with each recitation, and knew sleep was impossible.

Instead, she used the time to clean her apron, as best as she could, trying to both wash and steam the smell of Waterfall from it. It made her sad, though, once she'd succeeded, because she'd liked it, and liked what it represented. The hesitation made it go on for far longer than usual, but she didn't notice.

After, now closer to nine, she went to shower – but this time, her hands were not busy, but completely clinical, and she was done in half of the usual time it took.

Once back upstairs, she tucked the bed back up and paced, her mind desperately trying to figure out the _how_ and _why_. They hadn't even met face-to-face yet, and that kind of connection required a great deal more than just an open mind and a hand held tight.

She also doubted the authenticity of the dreams, as they felt almost _too_ real to be normal.

Was it possible that there was something in the air of the hangar – something that came from the pool, itself – that triggered such detailed, realistic hallucinations?

If so, how had Gaster figured it out? Why had it done it?

If not that, how did he find a way into her mind, and planted them, there, himself? And why?

What purpose did it serve? Was there a purpose?

Then, she arrived back where she started.

Which was good, because she then got final proof that, indeed, there was a connection; and indeed, it was absolutely real.

* * *

It was nine-thirty, and Alphys was dressing for work, making sure to keep her clothes comfortable, though a small part of her kept trying to find a way to look pretty, just in case it _was_ all true...

_What's the use, if I’m just going to hide it under this apron...?_

She sighed, then threw it on, smelling only a hint of Waterfall, now, knowing it was more likely to be fancy above anything else. She smelt the _memory_ of it, because she wanted it to be true, and it soothed her.

By ten, she'd locked the door to the Lab, feeling a little tense, since her hours had been messed up and she'd skipped her morning pleasures. They seemed pointless, now, after those memories swept over her.

By ten-thirty, she was in front of the building, on time as usual, and she looked, felt, and acted fine.

By the time she was in the lockers, she began to feel strange.

She'd broken into a cold sweat, and she hobbled to her locker, her fingers fumbling with the lock. She shook her head, her vision blurry, like she'd forgotten her glasses – but she hadn't.

She slumped down onto the bench in front of it, holding her head in her hands and shaking a little. Her eyes widened, her body slowly flooding with heavy, sickening weakness, and she felt like her whole body was made of lead. She felt saliva flood her mouth, nausea making her groan silently in pain, trying desperately to look for something to throw up into...

_What's wrong...? Did I catch a chill? Do chills cause sweats and vomits?_

Her mind gave her no answers, save one: she had felt this exact feeling, before, but not for over fifteen years.

A hand went to her side, but felt no pain, no blood, no answer.

She grabbed her cane back, trying to push herself to her feet, her eyes closing from how dizzy it made her feel, but knowing that she needed to open them, to find Toriel, to find _anyone_...

Instead, her first step was her only step, and she crashed into the floor, the sound punctuated with a cracking noise against the hard concrete. It sent a knife of pain into her head, but before she even try to scream, her vision went black, and she couldn't breathe...

In complete silence, Alphys gave up.

And now, at last, things began to make sense.


	23. Apathetic Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for posting this early and causing pointless spoils to a chapter I forgot to post before it. Oops.

It was the first thing Toriel saw: her friend staggering around, before collapsing onto the floor and going limp.

The worst part of all was that no one helped Alphys.

They saw her; they'd watched her fall; but they simply looked away, or left quickly, to _escape_  from her.

From Alphys. A small, mute, completely helpless and harmless monster, who'd simply passed out onto the floor.

Nothing more.

_And that's who they run away from, of all of the people in this goddamned, godforsaken building..._

Toriel had been told of things like this, before, by Alphys, herself: that the people around her – her peers in school – did _horrible_ things to her, and all while others watched and did nothing – or didn't watch, and still did nothing.

Toriel hoped it to be exaggeration, hadn't wanted to believe that people could be so cruel to someone else, someone they saw every day, who always did whatever she was asked, without complaining, despite the degradation it brought her, and never  _ever_ asked for thanks for it...

She tore into the locker room, and the second she was close enough, she shouted, “I saw _all_ of your faces! You _will_ regret this!” to the people running off.

They heard, and some hesitated, but still, they didn't come back.

 _Nobody cares about her,_ Toriel realised with dismay, as she knelt down beside her fallen friend and tried to figure out what was wrong. _Nobody in this entire place cares about Alphys..._

_Except for me._

_Me... and Undyne._

“Alphys!” she called, looking at her head and seeing blood, the skin and scales scraped away and leaving behind a bloody mush. It was an ugly wound, but it didn't worry Toriel.

She'd heard that cracking noise. Alphys may have hit her head, and _badly_. That, above all, worried Toriel the most.

“Alphys?!” she called louder, touching her cheek and tapping it.

Alphys’s face was pale, her expression pained, and she didn't even twitch. She didn't know Toriel was there, because _she_ wasn't there.

Toriel quickly pushed an eyelid up – and gasped, her heart clenching. It was turning grey, the iris and pupil rolled up and blank.

 _She's dying!_  Toriel realised, stunned by how easily she could admit to it. _She's dying in my arms, and they all ran away from her, not even caring, not even checking..._

_If I had arrived a mere minute later..._

Toriel shuddered. She didn't want to think about what such heartless people would have done to Alphys, if she really had died in this spot. The images were gruesome, and hurt too much.

_Behaviour more befitting of a human..._

_Of Gaster, himself..._

With tears in her eyes, she picked Alphys up, keeping a hand behind her head to make sure not to jar it, certain she had a head injury; that crack had been _loud_. She cradled Alphys within her arms, shocked by how small she was within them, and stood up.

Alphys laid limply against her, like she had a day ago, but this time, it was worse.

Toriel knew, and ran, as fast as she could, forgetting everything behind and taking Alphys to the infirmary.

* * *

When Toriel got there, she was surprised to see it busy, and she was confused – but it didn't stop her from calling out for a nurse. She explained that she'd brought someone with a possible head injury, after passing out from something else.

There were five staff there: one doctor and four nurses. It was very rare to see them here all at once, but they were, circling a bed that seemed occupied. None had heard her.

 _There's more than one bed,_ she thought, before walking closer and repeating herself – and finally getting someone's attention.

“Doctor--?"

The doctor turned around from the other bed, one that had jars of blood hung up from the hooks within the ceiling, and looked over at Toriel. She remembered his face, but not his name. She also knew she could trust him.

“What happened?” he asked Toriel, leading her over to a spare bed, beside the busy one – one now hidden behind curtains.

Toriel explained again what she'd seen – including the heartless apathy toward a dying monster, liked or not – while the doctor quickly did Alphys's vitals. He began gesturing to a nurse to bring over something: a newer technology, one that helped breath come easier to the breathless. He covered Alphys's snout with a mask attached to a thin cord, one screwed into a round, long metal cylinder, and he turned the vial on the cylinder – making it hiss.

Toriel looked at Alphys, keeping close, holding one of her hands while the doctor used the other side to figure out what was wrong. He pulled a chair over, took the apron off (Toriel took it and draped it over her shoulder) and held his hands over her, not touching her – save with his magic, a gentle, turquoise light that slowly swirled around Alphys. It moved quite a bit as they watched, and to Toriel's shock, the magic kept lighting up random patches of skin, seeing through her skin and into her veins.

“Another one...?" he realised, shocked.

Luckily, that was when Toriel remembered his name. “Gerald!” she cried, recognizing him from the Palace; he was one of the Dreemurrs' own doctors.

He looked up – and blinked with surprise. “I wish I could be chipper about it, my Lady, but... we need more blood. Was it another blood sample gone bad?"

He wasn't wrong, but Toriel didn't know that.

Toriel stared at him, trying to warm Alphys's hand. “She just got here, to work, she's a janitor. She left early yesterday morning, but she just got here, now, and she would have told me about something like blood work.”

Gerald nodded, he believed her. When he pricked Alphys's finger, he licked off the bead of blood (he _was_ a lion, after all), to use his senses and magic to understand what it was telling him.

Again, he nodded, took hold of one of the nurse's arms, and said, “Get another round for this one. She's lost a lot, already.”

"How?!" Toriel demanded. "She only scraped her head, and you're _not_ _listening_ to me when I am telling you that she likely has a head injury, nothing more!"

“Are you sure?” he said to Toriel, now, his hands unbuttoning the front of Alphys's shirt with little attention.

Toriel was about to stop him, to ask why before he could do it, but it was too late: her shirt was half-open, and the doctor stuck on a few electrodes, making something close by begin to beep. It was frantic, fast and uneven, and it scared Toriel into silence.

Gerald nodded, touching the side of Alphys's throat - then frowned.

Toriel was trying to button up Alphys's shirt, at least to just below her breasts, to hide her scars, and tried to distract him with words as she did it.

“I'm not sure, anymore,” she admitted. “She might have been trying to tell someone just that, before she fell.”

“She's wounded, but just on her head? There was no other signs of blood loss?”

Toriel was shaking, now. “No, I don't even think there was a wound beyond that scratch. But, wait, I’m sorry. Why do you keep saying ‘blood loss'? She hit her head. It made a cracking noise!”

Gerald nodded, moving his hands up to Alphys's head, and his magic again went under her skin and looked for problems. Sparks of light circled around Alphys's head wound, but nothing else.

Toriel was relieved. “Thank goodness,” she whispered. “I'll check her clothes, later, to see what broke. But again, I still don't understand.”

The nurse had returned with the jars of blood and syringes of morphine.

Toriel stopped them both before they began. "Why are you giving her blood?” she repeated, her eyes darkening, now.

It happened rarely, but when Toriel played the Queen card, she never lost. She wasn't moving her hands - still holding Alphys's shirt closed - until they told her why.

“I don't know,” Gerald admitted. “I know barely as much as you. But my magic is absolutely showing _all_ signs of too much blood loss, and she needs to remain here until that blood has been replaced.”

“But _how_ did she lose it?” Toriel tried, narrowing her eyes when a nurse tried to come closer.

“You can ask her when she wakes up. But she _won't_ wake up unless you please move, Lady Toriel.”

Toriel stepped aside at once, letting go of Alphys's hand, and they went to work, setting up the jars and making sure they matched her own blood type.

Toriel looked up, at the wall of curtain surrounding the other used bed. She frowned, sensing something about it, and she remembered what Gerald had said: “Another one.”

“Doctor,” Toriel said quietly, not looking at him. “Why did you say 'another one'?”

He sighed. “There's a patient that came in minutes before you, after having too much blood taken out for a test – while also already suffering from a lot of blood loss too fast, all at once,” he said, his hands busy with packages of medicines and writing them all down.

Toriel nodded, and when he could, he continued.

“This one here has the exact same problem."

He paused, staring at his hands for a minute, as if doubting his own magic. "This is bizarre. They have both lost the same percentage of blood.”

He blinked. “Was there a test done today that required the study-patients to be anaemic, for it to be conclusive?”

It wasn't hard to imagine, and it scared Toriel even more. “I don't know. Who is the other one?”

“Unnamed. 'Asset', I think Mr sans said.”

Toriel felt herself grow cold, and when she could, she slipped over to the other bed, while the staff worked on stabilising Alphys, too.

She pushed the curtain aside, and saw Undyne, lying in a cot, on her back and unmoving. She wore clothes – a good sign – but also had an IV in her hand, a hand that rested atop her exposed belly. Her breaths were also uneven and shaky, and she was sweating hard, even while unconscious.

There was no question: she was dying, and that blood was her last hope.

And Alphys, somehow, was in the exact same state.

Now, Toriel had her proof, at last. With _this_ , there was no longer any point in denying it. 

_And they both need to know, first, before either get back into Gaster's hands..._

Instead, she wanted them to  _let_ him find out the truth, but only once it was all too far, and too late, to stop it...

A very calming, soothing image, indeed.

Toriel would make sure she would, risk to her job be damned. This was more serious - almost _too_ serious - and she refused to leave either of them, now.

And if Gaster had a problem with it, then he needed to fix the problems he'd made, himself, first. 

 _Now, it's time. No more secrets,_ she thought, her slow, devious grin lightening her heart - but also making the people around her nervous, too. 

 _Good_ , she thought to them. _Be outside of your comfort zone. Pay attention to the fact that these are people, real people, and treat them so._

_Or else..._

The grin widened.

_Or else, I will make every single one of you pay._


	24. Unexpected Variables

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... the next few chapters are gonna be rough, but I'll try to write them fast so that we can have another soft break :)

When Gaster reached F-1, he swiped his card – and found it empty.

Granted, he missed the space between sans's idiotic dance and his run down the hall, to now, but he hadn't counted on her already gone.

 _Perhaps her worth_ is _known_ , he surmised, not bothering to linger, and whoever found her knew to bring her to the infirmary, above all else.

He went, nothing in the entire world warning him of what he was about to walk in on.

* * *

_Hissing…?_

It was the first sound Undyne heard, as her eye fluttered open slowly, feeling like the lid of it weighed five kilos at least. She shifted, inhaling deeply when she felt like it wasn't enough, and had absolutely no memory of what had happened, and why she was here – wherever here was.

She felt something pressing down around her mouth, and she touched it. The source of the hissing was at the end of the cord to this mask, and because she was waking up, she figured it was helping her. It certainly felt wonderful to have fresh air; her lungs felt too small to find it on their own.

She twitched again, finding one hand weighed down upon her belly, but her belly was covered by a blanket, one that went up to her chest and left her arms free. She wore a patient's smock, but over her swimming clothes, so she was fine with it.

_But boy, do I feel like shit._

She sighed, closing her eye and reaching up with her empty, free hand, touching her forehead and rubbing it slowly, helping her think.

_Why didn't he listen to me...?_

It was a thought she hadn't even worked up to, but with it, all of her memories returned, and her eye snapped open, and she gritted her teeth and rubbed her eye with her fist, trying not to cry too loudly.

She now knew she was back in the infirmary – the reason why she wept – and noticed that she was surrounded by stained, greying curtains. She felt far too heavy to even try to sit up, let alone get out of bed. She followed the IV cord, noting that it was an opaque red, and found blood transfusion jars hanging above her head.

 _Oh fuck,_ she thought with relief. _Thank fuck._

That brought on a wave of such deafening, painful self-pity, an emotion she loathed and usually strangled before allowing it to be acknowledged.

And yet here she was.

_I didn't ask to come back, to beg for food and clothes, to be ripped away from my own home, again._

_I didn't ask if I wanted to help._

_I didn't get any chance to even ask how this was supposed to work!_

_I never even got to know whose life I ruined, and yet, here I am, again, already ruined!_

_The fucking bastard lied to me, gave me a week, gave me_ nothing _\--!_

A sound broke through her thoughts, one that startled her so badly that she couldn't breathe.

Beside her, behind the curtain, was movement, followed by a soft, pained exhale. She heard fingers pat about, as if looking for a button for help.

Undyne immediately felt sorry for whoever it was, hating that she wasn't alone in this stupid place. It was probably just as stupid a reason, too.

 _Indeed_.

Undyne tried to softly clear her throat, doing it when her company coughed several times, wheezing between. She then tried to speak, and this time, she needed no practise.

“H-hey,” she called out, her voice barely a whisper, and one broken, at that. “I-it's the l-left middle button, on-on the left panel in your bed.”

There was a long silence, one Undyne heard was filled with shaky, fast-paced breathing. It made her pause, her heart picking up speed, almost recognising it, and she worried that her words were too broken to understand.

Before she could say anything more, she heard the chime to summon a nurse – and also heard her fellow sufferer jolt in their bed once hearing the words, “Nursing desk, how can I help you?”

In reply, there was silence.

Undyne turned her head forward the sounds, her ears twitching, but didn't hear anything beyond soft, nonsensensical whispers.

“Hello? Do you need help?”

Undyne then heard panic. There was no other word for it. She heard shuffling, a voice tiny with pain, one able to speak only nonsense. The heart monitor's beeps increased, and alongside more frantic gasps, there was a hurried tapping noise, against the panel in their bed, growing louder once the voice returned.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

In reply, there was a crashing noise, one followed by a hard thud upon the floor. Then, nothing, save that same silence, broken by their agonised breathing.

It had Undyne yelping with fear. She struggled to sit up, pulling herself up with her arms, before she slammed her fist onto her own panel's panic button - just as she heard the worst sound she'd _ever_ heard.

Defeated, broken weeping, so soft that only someone like Undyne would have heard it.

It came from behind that curtain, and from the person now cowered and powerless upon the floor.

 _Ignored_.

Undyne kept her eye underneath the curtain, watching the person as best as she could, as they were blocked by their bed, and all she couldid see was shadow. There was no question that they'd fallen out of their bed, and needed help, _now_ – while knowing no help was coming.

_They sound like they've already given up..._

“Hello, nursing station?”

“Hey,” Undyne snarled, despite the fact that her voice was weak. “When someone rings this button and doesn't fucking answer, it's not okay to ignore them, because if they don't answer after calling you, it's because they  _can't_  fucking answer. So why don't you do your  _fucking jobs,_  and help the person next to me like they  _asked!!”_

She was shaking with rage, now; she didn't know who it was, yet, but still had the instinct to protect them, even like this. She stopped only because she ran out of breath, and it made her dizzy, but she waited.

Silence, even from the patient on the floor, worrying Undyne even more...

Then, “We're on our way.”

Undyne didn't answer, instead trying to see if she could get their attention, to distract them until help arrived.

“Hey!” she called. “Help's on the way, okay? I know you can't talk, but can you make a noise, to tell me you're at least okay _ish_?”

* * *

Alphys had woken up feeling like she'd been put into a blender, poured into a mould of herself, placed in a freezer overnight, and had now woken up here, her whole body both hot and cold with sweat. She barely began to remember what happened, her brain too empty and her eyelids too heavy.

She was lying down. She had an IV in. She wore an oxygen mask.

She felt weak, and found it hard to keep her eyes open, everything spinning, even with them already closed.

 _Hurts_ , she knew. _Hurts, it hurts, it hurts... Why do I feel so weak...?_

It was too familiar, and it woke her up, her whole body awash in terrified memory – until she recognised Deltarune's infirmary. It was still hell, but at least it was one she knew. She could barely _think_ , pain screaming at her from her head and her chest, and that was familiar, too – in the bad way, this time.

She opened her eyes quickly, terrified that her mother was about to come in and slice her open.

Her space remained empty, save herself.

For a moment, she focused on catching her breath, still having no memory of why she was feeling like this, again. But when she looked at the railings of a cot – not the lip of a metal gurney – she was lying on, she came back to the present.

Her vision was blurry, and she kept feeling around with her fingers, waiting to find the paging panel. She must’ve been too loud, because, from the bed beside her, a voice called and told her what to do.

Alphys heard the words last, and the voice, first. Her eyes flared, and she trembled. Her breaths caught, just as she found the right button, and she decided she was delirious and thinking of nicer things to cope with this poor reality...

_I know that voice!_

But before she could do anything else, they answered, and Alphys froze up, forgetting once again that she was mute. They tried, but nothing worked, and they gave up.

As a result, desperation and panic became too much, and her only solution was to get _out_ of here, now. She squirmed, her eyes wide and glazed over with terror, but when she tried to get to her feet, she fell from the cot, and slammed into the floor, right onto her back.

The breath wheezed out of her, and her mind went blank for several seconds too long.

She tried to push herself back up, reaching out to claw her way out of the room, but she didn't move. She froze, remained on her back, and didn't move, her eyes wide and waiting for hell to bring her home...

When she heard _that_ voice, again, it was from afar, and it made her unsure if she was dreaming or not, because she knew the voice, now, and would never forget it. She hoped this was real, while hoping it wasn't, because it hurt so much...

...and it was _not_ how she'd wanted this to go...

Alphys realised her weeping became noticeable when that the lovely voice actually tried to reassure her, to _comfort_ her, reminding her that the help she would soon get was because of this voice, one that kept making her blush, despite everything...

Her breaths continued to be raspy, from confusion, weakness, and confusion caused by that weakness. She closed her eyes, trying to stay calm as she laid on her back, upon the floor that she'd cleaned of blood almost a full day to the second ago...

 _One day?_ she discovered. _It's only been one day?_

For Alphys, yes. But for her companion, no.

She knew that, too.

The door opened, and when the curtains to Alphys's section were parted, there was a cry, and another nurse came by, both taking hold of Alphys a little roughly under her arms and dragging her back up into her cot, swinging her feet over and into it, last.

The movement made her very, _very_ ill, and she even felt the blood drain from her face and go to her feet. She felt vomit try to steal its way out, but she flinched it back, barely.

The nurses noticed this, and as they readied Alphys's meds, they laughed, their amusement over Alphys's agony make her eyes fill up with tears, humiliated.

 _Even sick, I’m still garbage_... 

It was that distraction that kept Alphys conscious, and soon, the dizziness and discomfort eased – and she tasted something at the back of her throat.

 _Oh!_ she thought, forgetting that this was an option. _That's a painkiller! That... feels... good..._

She slumped back into her cot, her eyes closed and her breaths faint.

The nurses then took her vitals.

The painkiller worked so well because of one major factor, one that Alphys was only now remembering: she'd hadn't had time to eat yesterday. Or this morning. She'd cooked the snails, but had forgotten to eat them. Her bag held two jars of them, now.

Alphys was shocked by how well the drug worked, to the point of finding herself feeling better, almost energetic, even. She was _stoned_ , now, but when she looked up, the smaller jar amongst the bigger ones was still dripping water-like fluids - and there was a lot more to go.

 _No_ , she thought, her eyes flaring. _They don't know! It's going to be too much!_

But when Alphys tried to move, tried to get either nurse's attention, they merely nodded, ignored her, or laughed and wrote stuff down.

Desperately, she lifted her hand, the one closest to them, and tried to speak to them, asking, with increasing panic.

‘Stop the drug, stop the drug, _stop the drug,_ stop, stop, _stop!'_

She groaned out, feeling her entire body go dangerously limp, but they were already moving away to the next bed; her groan had been silent.

 _No, no, no!_ she screamed within her own mind, her hand falling limp to her side as though toss. _I promised... I promised!_

By the time the second word had slipped into the aether, the drug sedated her, then dragged her into unconsciousness.

* * *

Undyne listened closely, her ears twitching, her eye still on the curtain beside her. She heard the gasps and movement, watched their shadows as they picked the fallen patient up, and began muttering to each other, again.

The sound of the patient heavily hitting the bed made Undyne flinch, and when the nurses laughed about it, her eyes filled with tears. They were laughing at the _patient_ , at the patient _they'd neglected._

Undyne gritted her teeth, looking over herself and trying to find a way to get to her feet – but without ripping her vein open like last time. All the while, there were sounds of bottles moved, replaced, and soft weeping – her neighbour's.

Undyne turned around, leaned forward as much as she could, and tried to snag the curtain between her fingers. _Her_ tears didn't quit, because now, as she moved, and her senses woke up, she began to feel – a _lot_. 

She knew that if she didn't do _something_ , that patient would probably die from neglect, and even if _she_ was resigned to it, _Undyne_ sure as hell wasn't.

She knew that scent, now.

Her heart raced, her body catching something her mind was to distracted to investigate, too invested in trying to pull the curtain aside while also staying in her bed, aware that if she stood up, she would just end up back on it, anyway.

There was the sound of more laughter, but Undyne heard a third sound, one those nurses were deaf to.

Soft, terrified cries of pain.

Undyne listened, her eyes filling, because she knew for sure who it was, now. She knew who it was, and loathed that they were doomed to meet in such horrible circumstances. 

 _I'm pretending that the dream is the real one,_ she decided. _And after was the best wet dream_ ever _..._

She listened to that heart monitor, not her own, and when the nurses came into her area and started looking at paperwork, Undyne could still hear next to her.

And what she heard scared the breath out of her.

Choking noises, followed by the sound of a voice being strangled into silence, a body trying to move frantically from its place...

Then, nothing.

Nothing but the heart monitor.

 _No_...!

“Lie down.”

Undyne jolted, about to get up and tear through that curtain, but the nurses were staring at her, waiting for her to do as they commanded of her. When she did not, they both shoved her down, and it was done so hard that it dazed her for a moment.

“Ugh,” the one furthest from her said. “I'll bring an eyepatch next time.”

At that, she snapped out of it.

Undyne turned to them and glowered at them. “How about I give you a reason to get one _yourself?!”_ she snarled, already so angry at them.

“Arm out,” the first one answered.

Undyne didn't move, and when the second one moved to touch her, she slapped their hands away. _“Don't touch me,”_ she snapped. “If you have no respect for someone you're supposed to take care of, I don't trust you with my health.”

Both nurses were silent, now, stunned.

In fairness, Undyne was, too, as she hadn't realised she'd managed to not only say it out loud, but exactly the way she wanted to.

“Yeah _, I_ have a voice,” Undyne snarled. _“I_ can talk back. And _I_ can also tell the _Leader himself_ what horrible assholes you were, just now, to the person next to me. She's sicker than me, too, so maybe get a _doctor,_ and actually get her some _help!!”_

The second nurse turned around to leave from the other side – the infirmary had two exits for convenience – but was stopped.

There was a shocked, “I'm so sorry!”, then the sound of running out that door.

Undyne tensed, as she'd heard it, right as the door opened: the clicking sounds of polished, perfect shoes, belonging only to one person. She looked around, trying to find a weapon, _anything_ , to grab, before—

Too late.

The doctor had arrived before being summoned.

* * *

Toriel was standing at the doorway to the infirmary, the one that opened to Alphys's side. Her arms were crossed, and she glared around her. She didn't care if she got in trouble for not working, because in all fairness, what _was_ she supposed to clean, if Undyne wasn't there?

But something was obviously wrong, and she wouldn't anyone near her friend.

Not like this.

Toriel closed her eyes for a moment, trying not to cry. She wished she had gone home with Alphys, after all, to make sense of what happened between last night and tonight. 

 _They're connected,_ she knew. _I don't know when or how, but they found a way, and now, nothing will bring them apart._

Gerald had been next to useless about it. “Even if I _did_ know about something as bizarre as this, I _wouldn't_ , my Lady. That's why we're here, remember? To do our jobs and pretend we have no ears or tongues.”

Toriel had tried to interrupt, but he did. “This woman, here, she hasn't bled more that a few drops, but she's _dying!_ So is the woman next to her, of the same amount! And we have proof that _she_ , at least, bled!"

She had then held her breath, hoping he would tell her something, _anything_ – especially how it worked.

But Gerald had simple looked away, and suggested she watch the door, in case of interruptions.

So she did, and was even expecting one: from Gaster.

But she'd forgotten about the _second_ door...

* * *

Gaster walked in, knowing full well that he was walking into a hornet's nest, but he still did it.

The second her eye landed on his face, she snarled, about to throw herself forward – before her eye went blank, and she fell onto her front, instead.

He waved the nurses into the _other_ room (another mistake; he thought it was empty) and pulled over a chair to sit on.

She raised her head, looking less wild and more frightened, but she refused to look at him, slowly and carefully moving herself back to the head of her bed.

_‘I am sorry for this, Undyne. sans was indeed following my orders, but I overestimated your capacity for healing, given your age.'_

She shook her head, then held it in her hands, hiding her face with her hair. He noticed that she was wearing one of the suits beneath her gown, and he was pleased.

“Maybe try actually to remember that  _you're the doctor,_ not _him,"_  she muttered, the response as weak as she felt, and she relaxed back against the pillows, catching her breath – and keeping her eye closed.

The silence ended up being a good thing, because not long after, something startled them both: the sound of an emergency alarm going off, right beside them.

Undyne's eye flared, filling with tears, and before Gaster could do or say a word, she turned to him, looking imploringly at him - stunning him into immobility and silence.

“Quick!” she shouted. “Unhook me! _Please!!”_

Instead, he got up and went to the next bed, himself. She cried out, but he ignored her.

He didn't hear her.

Gaster stared, immobile once more, his hand on the curtain holding it so tight that it shook.

Because Alphys was having a seizure, brought on by the pain medication, unexplained blood loss, and lack of food. She was also smaller than they'd measured for, and hadn't eaten in almost two days.

By the time the nurses had been led back, Alphys had already started her seizure – and hadn't stopped by the time he was there.

Undyne screamed, trying to figure out a way to unplug the IV, to move past the curtain, to hold Alphys, to _save_ Alphys, like she already felt she had...

But instead, her eye rolled up, and _she_ fell back, _her_ breaths catching, now.

Mercifully, by the time _her_ seizures started, she was already out cold.


	25. Bloodied Bones, Broken Wings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm... so here's the second bombshell. It's a huge one. It was an obvious one, but I'm admitting it, now, just in case it wasn't. It's not the full story, but it's true. You all expected this, don't @ me!

It was a nightmare after that.

One stubborn mare that galloped well through that night, and neither Undyne nor Alphys could leave the infirmary.

Now, both were calm, though unconscious, muscles twitching only a little, and slowing down, in frequency with the blood disappearing into their hands.

He'd had them sedated, knowing it was his only option at this point. If Undyne, and _somehow_ , alongside her, Alphys, were already experiencing seizures, it was indeed his fault, and he took over for both nurses.

But not after he had _words_ with those nurses. Words that had appeared like slashes against skin. He was _furious_ with their treatment of them both - Alphys, especially - and vowed that they would be fired if he found them in here with him ever again.

He'd pulled the curtain, and the two beds were adjacent, both hooked up to the exact things that they both needed.

But only one of them had _physically_ bled.

He read Alphys's medical notes, again, his face becoming sharper with his anger. The notes from Gerald were fine, and he was actually relieved that it _had_ been Gerald. With him, both patients were treated the best, even if Gerald didn't understand any of it.

He knew his job was to treat symptoms, not causes, and knew it well.

But once those nurses took over, _they_ got lazy, and didn't bother checking either woman's stats through the night, meaning both woke up alone, and one had been so ignored that she'd tried to get up to get help, herself...

 _Dammit, Alphys..._ he thought.

As a result, they _both_ had seizures, and from the very same consequences, birthed from different circumstances: blood loss and lack of food.

Now, as he watched them sleep, he saw that they breathed in almost the exact same way. He was checking their vitals every half-hour and finding them, if adjusted for height and weight, to be as identical as monsterly possible.

He never even knew it _was_ possible.

Gaster was a smart man. His brilliance had kept a dying race afloat, while the master race dominated them. He knew a great deal, and was fairly praised for this brilliance.

And yet, even as he sat between them, even as he watched them breathe, even as he heard their hearts beat one thump apart...

Even with all of that and more, Gaster could not figure out how or why this was happening.

Toriel had figured it out.

sans had, too.

But Gaster would never debase himself by asking them for their perspectives, lest they conclude – correctly – that _he_ had no idea what was happening.

Plus, he was certain that if he _did_ ask, he would be lied to, anyway.

Hubris was a bitch, and Gaster was its bitch in return. Only he thought he still held the lead, and had hubris tamed.

He did not.

His eyes went to Alphys, then, and lingered, before he stood up quietly and went to her bedside, sitting in the chair closest to her, instead. He watched her breathe, the mask looking terrible upon her face, but knowing she needed it, especially with her asthma.

This was the first time he'd looked - looked, and _saw_ – Alphys, in many years.

He didn't touch her, though he wanted to.

He wanted to touch her hand, to remind himself of what it had felt like. Or to see if it had changed _too_ much over fifteen years, to be the same one he'd shaken over his desk table.

Or if it felt familiar in a _different_ way.

He knew he treated her the worst. He knew that giving her a job was truly the _very least_ he could do, and he wasn't even the one to lead her to Deltarune; _sans_ had.

Such a thought had never occurred to him, because _Alphys_  had never occurred to him, before.

His eyes went to Undyne, remembering that it had been Papyrus's idea to put the pool in, to give her some comfort, and help her “heal better” (he of course meant “live longer”) than before. He could see that it had worked its magic upon her outside, but not the inside.

He did feel rather idiotic that he'd asked for too much blood, after witnessing such a spill. He just took the numbers he needed to make things work, and forgot to ask sans to either feed her, first, or put her too sleep.

Neither happened, and now she was here.

And so, for whatever reason, was Alphys.

_What reason...?_

_She doesn't know, so how is she here?_

He looked at Alphys's arms, and while he did see evidence of injuries, they were old, barely noticeable - and clearly self-inflicted.

There were some marks on her chest, and Gaster knew how _and_ why they were there, even if he had no clue what triggered it. All he knew was that those, too, were self-inflicted.

She _did that, too_ , he knew. _She_ _always did. I had to fight her to get her to stop._

He wondered if Alphys had had someone to help her stop. And if she didn't, how _was_ she able to on her own?

Even _she_ hadn't known how.

He could have - should have - done so much more for Alphys, the one most hurt and injured of the three. She had that right, even if he refused to let her know it.

He could have been just as inclusive with her as he had been for his sons. He knew she was smart; he'd watched her work for years, now, when he remembered to, and saw a deep intelligence she was forced to hide, intelligence that others took credit for, too.

But he saw that only if he remembered to look. He didn't know why Alphys was so easy to forget. Maybe because he'd never bonded with Alphys like _she_ had.

 _If one could call it a bond,_ he sighed internally.

He didn't feel for Alphys like he knew he should, and while that had been _her_ problem, too, he knew it wasn't solely Alphys's fault. 

He just simply did not have the time for Alphys.

 _His_ job was sans. _Her_ job was Alphys.

That was how they'd arranged it.

That was how it was meant to be, from the very start. They both knew what they were irreversibly doing to two innocent lives.

Because that was the point: their lives were experiments. If one died, there was always a way to start again.

His giving Alphys a job was pure sentimentality, one spurred by sans, and one he hadn't know he had, either. 

But then, he also hadn't expected _her_ to kill herself.

He hadn't realised how much it had meant to _her_ , how much the entire thing had been for _her_.

 _The second_ she _realised_ Alphys _had failed, too, she..._

Gaster shuddered, the memories so vivid that he could almost smell the blood.

 _Even_ I _don't know why_ she _did that to Alphys. Maybe_ she _didn't, either, and it killed her. S_ _he was so ashamed that_ she'd _failed her own experiment, while at least with me, sans is useful._

Alphys was, too, but not in the way she was _supposed_ to be, how she was _meant_ to be.

Alphys was supposed to be _the_ _answer_ , because of who she was, who'd carried her, and what had been done to her as soon as she was an adult, and could be abandoned if they failed and had to start again.

Which was exactly what happened.

Alphys failed her final test, and they abandoned her to try again.

Except they never tried again, because _she_ killed herself.

 _No, not true_ , he corrected, touching his chest with his fingertips for a moment, over his racing heart.

There was one more attempt, one night that had not been scheduled or planned for. A night of passion, something they'd never shared when using sex to procreate, only it _was_. _She'd_ grabbed his hands, pinned them down, and... 

And after, before he was even awake, _she_ killed herself, and left Gaster a pregnant widower.

And yet, even after all of that, he still abandoned Alphys.

Except... for giving her a job.

Months after leaving Alphys to die, certain that she  _had_ died, she now reappeared, those same months into a pregnancy he knew how to hide.

He was face-to-face with her, again, and had no idea what to make of her. 

Only she'd never seen him, before, until that moment. She had no idea who she was looking at. She just saw someone who was probably going to tell her no.

But he'd said yes. 

So he hadn't abandoned her. Not really.

_Why?_

Pity, for sure.

It wasn't Alphys's fault. She hadn't even known until it was done that she was an experiment. Once she had, and accepted it, she knew to expect nothing from life, anymore.

They'd ruined Alphys, and she was forced to clean up the mess they made of her.

But this was not what he'd expected to get in a daughter.

He'd thought that if _she'd_ carried Alphys, it would work.

sans had been carried by Gaster, who wasn't like _her_.

And even when Alphys wasn't born right, she _should_ have changed when given those injections.

It was a flawless hypothesis, and should have worked.

But of all the fates he'd thought of for his only daughter, he never thought she would be working for him, as a _janitor_ , and with no idea of who _he_ was – or who _she_ was, herself.

If she knew that she'd been sired by the now-Leader, and her only crime was not being born a Boss Monster, it would devastate her. Her life of anonymity would vanish.

She wasn't born a Boss Monster, and she wasn't able to change into one. Alphys had been their last hope, and she'd ruined it all - by simply existing.

So perhaps his neglect was from anger, too, despite the fact that it had been his and _her_ fault, not Alphys's.

And he knew sans was trying to be a good brother to his sister, even if he was never allowed to tell her so.

So perhaps it was all of that, and all of that was his penance, for the crimes he committed on both of these women.

In that second, he _almost_ got it. He almost figured it all out. If he had, things would have been very, _very_ different.

But it was so absurd to him to even consider, because _she_ told him that Alphys _wasn't_ a Boss Monster, both times.

And only a Boss Monster can recognise another Boss Monster.

She had screamed it at him, after yet another recitation of the question, during Alphys's surgery, “She's not! _She's not!_ She's not, and we need to let it go, _now_. _She never will be,_ Wing. _Ever.”_

He had no idea that she'd planned to kill herself the night after they left Alphys alone in the hospital.

He never even got to ask why she would want to.

He never knew she'd had such inclinations.

 _She must've hated you a lot,_ Gaster thought to Alphys, _to do what she did to you._

It was odd, then.

Alphys twitched, just a little. But Gaster's eye caught movement, and saw Undyne twitch a second after, in the same way.

And with it, he had a perfect idea.

Oh, he would give Undyne a week. He would even add another day, to make up for his mistakes. He was a monster of his word, after all.

But now, he had a new variable to add, and he hoped it would be enough to get Undyne to finally confess that she _was_ a Boss Monster.

He nodded, stood up – then hesitated, his eyes flicking between the two of them. They would be done their transfusions around the same time the graveyard shift ended for the janitors.

He considered; Undyne would be staying overnight, regardless, and well past seven or eight in the morning. And it was company policy that anyone who got harmed while working within Deltarune were also treated for it in Deltarune. It was one of the most important rules.

He smiled, then, nodding.

This, he knew, would confuse sans, and he enjoyed the idea of it.

He also enjoyed the chance of being able to tell Toriel – whom he knew was standing at the other door, waiting for him to leave, now that she'd already let him in – that she needed to work without Alphys for the rest of the night.

Then, as they healed, he could watch them, if they did, interact, and see if there were any answers hidden in their actions for why they were both there at all, and the way they both arrived.

He would wait for as long as it took.

And with that, the answer he was expecting to find vanished from his grasp, no longer close enough to it to keep it.

It never occurred to him that, somewhere along the lines, someone was lying, and had been from the very start.

Now, ignorant to this, he left the infirmary through the door Toriel guarded, eager for some amusement.

* * *

Toriel was nudged by the door opening, and she moved aside for Gaster to leave. He slipped out, saw Toriel – whose eyes met his – and walked past her.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him back roughly, then let go quickly enough so that it looked like she'd helped him stay on his feet.

“Do you understand what you've _done?”_ she snarled, the second their eyes met, again – and he didn't leave.

‘Of course I do,' he replied, truly believing it.

Toriel eyed him closely, her teeth bared and her hands clenched at her sides, shaking. “Do you really?” she asked, again. She was unsure. He didn't look like he did.

But he felt he did. ‘Yes. I always know what I do, and what I've done, and what I will do in the future.'

She glared at him. “I'm staying with them.”

‘You are not. You need to clean F-1, again, because sans made a mess, and it hasn't been cleaned yet. The janitors are both here. One is incapacitated; one is not. Do your job.'

Toriel's eyes flashed, then, and she stood up taller. She looked ready to strike him, ready to throw him down, again, ready to scream threats into his face...

Instead, she said, her voice softer, “Leave them alone.”

‘I already intended to,' he replied. ‘sans will take care of them. They're staying overnight. If you're done early within the hangar, do not wait for your workmate. Go home.'

Toriel wanted to weep. She didn't want to leave Alphys or Undyne. She didn't want them to wake up to sans. She wanted to comfort Alphys, knowing how delicate she was, remembering that it had been her puffer that had cracked when she fell. She was terrified that Alphys wouldn't get the help she deserved, because people didn't understand her language, or ignored her, because she never asked for anything she even needed or deserved...

'Alphys will be taken care of alongside the Asset,’ he added. ‘I've already reprimanded the staff for their behaviour. sans would do no such thing, and I will be keeping an eye out.'

Toriel looked away, closing her eyes. She yearned to ignore him, to pretend to obey – and then sneak back here. She didn't want to leave Alphys behind.

But then, she remembered Undyne. She remembered what Undyne had told her, and how she'd looked at Alphys when she was having her attack.

And she knew that Alphys still had better chances of recovery than Undyne, and knew she was the only one who knew why.

Toriel looked back, and nodded. “Alright. I'll do as you say.”

He smiled, then turned around and walked away, already expecting that.

Toriel grinned at his back. She had a lot more under her sleeves, and knew he'd never expect any of them. He was so arrogant that, despite all of the mistakes that had happened, in barely a day since having Undyne back, he still thought he was in control.

Toriel knew who was in control, and it was not Gaster.

She sighed, going toward the hangar.

The worst part, she knew, was that the person who held the most power, who was truly in control, had absolutely no idea. She was afraid it would be discovered too late for it to make a difference.

 _But then, I’ve underestimated her, before_ , she thought, finding her cart and pushing it in front of her, immediately invisible behind it. _I don't mind being proven wrong yet again._

She would be one of many, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh... so do we all know the answers, now? Everything makes sense now, doesn't it :D?


	26. Chess

Alphys felt strange. She felt different than she had the last time she'd been here, even as a patient. She was waking up slowly, incredibly slow, her body heavy and her mind dazed. Her eyes were closed, also heavy, and she felt the pressure of the oxygen mask still upon her snout. She tried to part her jaws, and did find the mask had some give – a comfort - but she left it on, knowing she probably needed it.

She breathed in, hearing hisses, and before she panicked, she reminded herself that it was oxygen, because she'd passed out. Twice. The second time felt dark and painful, and she pushed it away, trying to feel every part of her body as it awoke, leaving her mind for last.

Her hand jerked up and touched her chest, and she felt bandages over her clawmarks. Her other hand hurt a little but was resting upon her belly.

She listened harder, and heard someone else breathing. She felt a presence, and stirred. She couldn't smell anything, but she tried to wake up more, to use her other senses.

She swallowed hard, and her hand dropped from her chest, to her side. She inhaled, then used the burst of strength she got from it, and reached out, sensing, wanting, _needing_ —

\--and immediately, her hand was grabbed onto, and held just as tight.

Undyne was waking up the same way as Alphys, albeit worse. _She_ could barely think, but her body insisted that she had to reach her hand out to the side, instinct confirming that it would be held, and by someone she _needed_ to touch.

She'd been right.

Their fingers entwined, all done with little or no thought or hesitation. They held tight, both hands shaking their arms a little. But the longer they did, the slower the shaking became, before it stopped completely.

They didn't let go, both feeling deep comfort, and their minds started to come back.

Undyne inhaled, hearing it sound weird and muffled, and felt her mask. She growled softly, her other hand reaching up to remove it, but her fingers didn't work right, so she left it.

Alphys heard that growl, her heart leaping, and she squeezed that hand, her eyes filling with tears, even while closed.

It felt so _good_. It felt so _soothing_.

It felt like the most natural thing in the world...

Undyne started crying, too, her other hand falling back to her stomach, her whole body shaking with her grief - and relief.

She felt _awful_ , starving and sick, broken and raw...

But when she focused on that hand, she felt _invincible_...

 _“Alphy,”_ she sobbed out, so thick and mangled that she was certain that it was just whimpers. “Please… is it you…?”

Alphys sobbed back, a strangled gasp that broke into a cough, her breaths ragged and fogging up the mask. She _had_ to be dreaming, again.

Nothing else made sense, otherwise.

She concentrated with everything that she was on keeping hold of that hand, wishing she could lift her other hand, to try and sign, to say _yes, yes, of course, yes, it's me..._

Instead, she was the one who growled, tears burning her down her cheeks, as she felt her frustration at being mute come to a boil, for the first time since losing her voice.

She had so much to say, and wasn't even able to say it...

But then, “It's okay, sorry, I forgot for a sec. Don't force it. It's okay."

Alphys was stunned. She laid there, her eyes slowly blinking open, barely able to see through her tears and without her glasses (Toriel had them for safe-keeping).

In that simple, apologetic sentence, she'd just been given proof that her dreams _had_ been real, and they _were_ connected, and they were _also_...

Alphys inhaled shakily, and her heart started to race, shocked by how sudden and how quickly she was silenced by desire; if that  _had_ happened, before, she didn't remember it.

Thinking about the dream, about the abyss, about the thousands of times they really had shared pleasure, one made into a song, a song gave them pure music, from pure pleasure...

Undyne's eyebrows went up. She heard Alphys's breaths become... weird, and heard her heart rate go up. She was worried, but then felt that hand heating up, and she nearly started laughing, understanding – and feeling similar feelings, especially while still touching her...

Alphys was embarrassed, feeling her cheeks heat up, and she knew it wasn't just the medication, especially since they both could feel an improvement. She was amazed at how hormonal her body could be, especially when seeing – or touching – someone as beautiful as Undyne.

But then, Alphys could barely accept that Undyne wasn't just making fun of her.

That is, until she remembered those songs, sung with  _true_ emotion, and knew that Undyne – _Still so beautiful a name..._ she thought dopily – was genuine. There was no way for anyone to do such a thing - sing such songs with another - and not mean it.

It felt like they were already lovers, and had been for _years,_ as if _,_ after an involuntary parting, they were finally reuniting.

That's how familiar it felt; their connection was _that_ _intimate_.

“Alphy,” Undyne whispered, her hand over her own heart, smiling a little crookedly and feeling her own breaths grow weird, now, too.

Alphys squeezed that hand, then found another part that worked, and thumped her tail, hoping it was loud enough to convey the rest of her feelings.

It was, and it made Undyne laugh softly, a sound that made Alphys fall into it, spellbound. She knew that laugh was _for_ her, and was amazed that Undyne could laugh in a kind way with, and not _at_ , her. She'd never known that, before, and was amazed.

“It's _definitely_ you,” Undyne added, laughing softly – before her laughs changed into soft sobs, ones covered with her hand, before she was turning away to hide.

It hurt Alphys's feelings, because if Undyne didn't look at her, Alphys couldn't talk to her. She bit her lip, wondering if she should let go, but then felt Undyne tighten her hold, to prevent her from doing so.

 _She_ is _embarrassed, but not of_ me _,_ she understood, correctly.  _Of crying?_

Alphys tugged on Undyne's hand, making her splutter with surprise – as it moved her cot a little closer to her own.

“Whoa,” Undyne said, her eye wide, her tears startled into a pause.

Now, Alphys could see her better, and saw her red face and sparkling eye, _feeling_ better, too. She tugged a few more times, and Undyne did, too, until their beds slammed side-by-side and into each other.

They kept holding hands for a moment, before letting go.

They faced each other, at last, both rolling onto their sides.

Undyne's eye went all over Alphys's face, seeing exhaustion and pain within the pearly finish of her eyes. But there was still some shine to them, and every time her eye landed on them, they shone brighter, with happiness and recognition.

Alphys looked up at Undyne with adoration, amazed that her echoflower was so _beautiful_ , with a kind of beauty that she could study all day and _never_ get bored of.

_I hope I get the chance to try - and always fail - to get bored..._

Alphys had no idea how radiant her tiny smile was, how it made her face look _perfect_ to Undyne, finding it easy to look at through the mask. She blushed when she saw Alphys's expression, but did fairly assume that she probably looked the same way.

“Hey,” she murmured, unable to hold back. She reached out, and they held hands, again, their eyes locked. “I'm Undyne. Remember?”

Alphys went scarlet, but she nodded shyly, pulling her hands away to speak.

‘Undyne,' she said, her eyes on Undyne’s, and when she'd finished, Undyne was the one who lit up, and she nodded, too.

“And you're--," Undyne brought her hands up. '--Alphys.' She finished it gleefully, deciding that maybe this _wasn't_ so bad, meeting like this, after all. She even signed Alphys's name.

Alphys nodded, speechless the second her eyes read what Undyne signed. 

_She wouldn't of known how if you hadn't shown her._

_It's time to accept it, Alphys._

_This_ is _real._

“But...” Undyne blushed deeper, shy. “I have to admit, you're _Alphy_ to me, now. 'Alphys' isn't cute enough for you. It _has_ to be 'Alphy'.”

Alphys smiled, shyly looking away for a moment, absolutely charming Undyne in an instant, because she did it with zero awareness, and in a way that was _adorable_. She signed her own name, pointed to Undyne, then shrugged.

It took a second, but Undyne understood, and she laughed – something that grew louder when Alphys smiled wider.

She was telling Undyne that she only knew how to sign her own name as it was, and it was Undyne's job to find the right gestures for ‘Alphy'.

Until then, Alphys was 'Alphys'. 

Undyne blinked, then looked serious. “Will you... teach me?” she asked softly, her mirth put aside to ask this question. “To talk like you do? To talk _with_ you?”

Alphys didn't say anything. She was frozen in place, holding one of Undyne's hands within her own, and when she understood the question, she realised that no one had asked her to do that, before. Toriel and Metta had taught Alphys, after all.

“I wanna learn from _you_ ,” Undyne added, surprising Alphys. “I want it to be something secret between us.”

Alphys smirked, and when Undyne looked up, she made the obvious sign for a waterfall – and moved it from her chest, to between her legs, an eyebrow raised. When Undyne gasped with clear understanding, Alphys laughed silently, her hand falling back onto the cot.

“Okay,” Undyne said, sounding delighted. “that's done it: we're _perfect_ for each other.”

Alphys went crimson, her eyes going bright; she looked away and tried to hide, before realising she was too weak to, and had to settle for covering her face with her hands.

Undyne smiled, biting her lip for a moment. She wasn't kidding, and she could tell that Alphys believed it – and felt the same – and didn't know how to emote.

This was proven when Alphys started crying, again, and only her sniffles were audible.

 _Mostly_.

Undyne's ears twitched a little when Alphys moved her lips in-between sobs, forgetting to sign it. If she concentrated, it was almost as if... there was _something_  within the pitch of it—

She shook her head. It didn't matter.

What did was that Alphys was crying, and Undyne needed to, as well - just not alone. She slid as close to the edge of her bed as possible, and Alphys shakily did the same, both rather clumsy, still.

Then, in complete silence, they hugged - Alphys's arms when around Undyne's neck, and Undyne's circled Alphys's waist, rubbing her back - at last.

Alphys went rigid, her eyes opening wide, staring at Undyne's face; when she noticed that she stared back. Undyne smiled slowly, and, as if unaware that she could, Alphys smiled back.

It was a smile of pure joy, of being gifted the most wonderful thing in the entire world, only all within the form of a _person_ to love, a person to _hold_.

And _holding_... holding was _glorious_. This embrace was like being held in a nest of pillows, only one made with Undyne's arms – arms that felt rather hard with muscle. Alphys closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and raised her chin, pressing her cheek against Undyne's chest. Undyne went still, her own eye wide, her body shaking and hot.

Alphys kept her cheek in place, and Undyne soon curled around her, moving her own head down, and their foreheads touched.

They both forgot at the same time, and when they'd tried to kiss, finally and for real, their masks clunked together and made them both jolt with shock.

Undyne laughed a little, but Alphys sniffled, biting down hard on her bottom lip. She'd _really_ wanted that kiss.

That, Undyne found _so_ sweet, and again, their foreheads touched. Alphys shivered and moved closer, and so did Undyne, sharing a smile.

Then, the two just... held each other, listening to the other breathe – soon doing so in unison.

It took little time for them to drop asleep, holding each other and refusing to let go, even as they slept.

* * *

Gaster watched this, his hand holding his chin, his eyes narrowed.

That was the strangest thing he'd ever seen.

He had no idea what to make of this.

_They know each other?_

_Is that why Alphys left yesterday?_

_Did Undyne just use sign language?_

_How and when did Alphys suddenly become someone completely different, while looking at Undyne_ that way _...?_

_Why does Undyne stare back the same way?_

_What the hell is happening?!_

When he realised they were both asleep, now, he checked the time, and found it to be close to three-thirty in the morning.

 _Break time,_ he thought, watching the hallways flood with staff. _Toriel might show up._

He watched, and when the crowds disappeared, he instead found Toriel sitting outside of the hangar, crouching against the wall beside the doorway. She was eating her lunch, there - another strange thing to see.

And when he finally saw sans make his way to the infirmary, pushing a medical cart, he wondered what took him so long – and he allowed that to distract himself away from all else.

_How will sans react to the two sleeping together like that?_

* * *

At first, sans reacted to nothing, grabbing both charts and reading them over, looking as if he was thinking of what was going on – and it became clear that he didn't.

Slowly, he raised his head, and his eyes landed on Undyne, first, surprised to see her still here, and wondering if this was a joke. His eyes found the jars of blood, and sighed – but then followed them over to a separate IV jar pole, and found a similar amount of blood, for a second, albeit smaller, patient.

He looked down, and before he accepted that it _was_ Alphys, he wondered if it was his mother. He was already feeling like he was going insane, the longer he stayed in here, so it wouldn't of surprised him...

But when he did recognise her - and what she was doing, thoughts of his mother vanished.

“alphys...?” he whispered, shocked, desperate to break the silence.

She was lying in Undyne arms, her own arms around Undyne's neck, and they breathed together, their hearts once again a mere beat apart. Their beds were pushed together, and he knew they'd done it, themselves.

They were smiling.

They were asleep.

They were still weak and on oxygen.

They were relaxed.

They were holding each other, and smiling, in a weird, secretive way.

They were _weird_...

He decided to read their charts before anything else, and when he put it all together – in turn also completing a past hypothesis – he had to sit down, wishing he could cry yet again.

He wondered if Gaster knew.

He wondered if Gaster planned this.

He wondered if Gaster even knew what he'd done, by doing this, and if he had, if this was his desired result...

But above all, he wondered what was going on with _Alphys_.

It was clear that Alphys had an affinity with Gaster's Asset, his supposed last chance at 'getting things right'.

And clearer, still, was that the aforesaid Asset was _clinging_ to Alphys, even in sleep, her hands holding onto his sister firmly, as if she'd done so for years, by now.

And knowing what he did about Alphys, it went deeper than he thought _Gaster_ thought possible.

Because if Gaster knew it, he wouldn't of let this happen. He would have stopped it before it began.

He would have kept them apart.

With a flinch, sans found Gaster's notes for both Alphys and Undyne, and read Undyne’s first.

_“It was my error that left Undyne anaemic and susceptible to this, and I regret my carelessness. I have added more time to her stay, the amount she spends recovering from my error. Please speak up next time. You now have permission."_

It was as close of an apology that he'd ever seen from his father, but he went on.

_“As soon as she's done her transfusions, give her something to eat, but after you bring her back to F-1. Drop her right into the pool, once fed and moving, and start with her alone. Use your judgement. If you must, bring Alphys in, but try not to, not yet. Do not worry about why; just do it. If she refuses to leave - hurts herself, tries to run - threaten her with the tube. She needs to be calm for the duration you will spend observing her."_

That made sans sigh, but he tucked it back into the file, already memorising it and knowing he would do it.

It also quite obviously meant that Gaster hadn't seen this - or anticipated something like this - before writing these notes. It upset sans, because he wasn't sure if he could get Undyne to let go of Alphys without sedation...

But when he read the note about Alphys, he was surprised. This note, he wondered about, because it added a lot more to the simple "stabilise Undyne and bring her back to F-1 to calm down."

_“There is something very wrong with Alphys, sans. I know it matters very little if she dies, but it seems somehow tied to Undyne. She somehow lost a great deal of blood, all without spilling a drop of it, as if Undyne's blood had been hers. Find out how this is possible, sans. This coincidence concerns me. If you have to, bring Alphys with Undyne to F-1, have her keep Undyne company - and keep both controlled and observed. If you must, wait until tommorow to bring Alphys in, but do it.. I want them to spend some time together after this, every night (you do not have to watch them every night, but make sure Alphys does go). Toriel will be elsewhere during your watch; if she tries to stop you, let me know. If she is confused or hesitates, manipulate Alphys into the place, and watch them interact with each other, at all times, until I page you to leave. I'm serious. Do what it takes. Say nothing. Do nothing. Do not interfere or speak. They can know that you are there, and that you're taking notes, but nothing more, sans. Just watch them, and write down everything that happens while doing so. Try to make it their idea. I'll know if you do not."_

That was it.

_That's it?!_

This made sans almost faint.

_Was this a joke?_

_He didn't_ know _?_

Gaster _didn't know?_

_Coincidence?!_

_After seeing all of this, every single aspect of this, with his own eyes, he still never made the simple, easy conclusion?!_

_He still doesn't get what he's done?! And what can no longer be reversed?!_

sans sat down hard, his hands going over his eyes, and he didn't move for a long, long time.

He had no idea his father was so _stupid_.

* * *

Toriel crouched in placed, eating her pie rather quickly, barely tasting it, knowing she would regret that, later, but for now, she far too worried to care. She had a feeling that she knew what Gaster was going to do, and she wanted to make sure she was there for it.

She wanted to make sure she could help, if need be.

She wanted to make sure everyone came out of this alive.

But it was only instinct. She didn't know how she could, or why she should. She only felt trapped, as if in a glass box, being stared at under hot lights, and she couldn't see who was watching her.

She knew Gaster had to be, but this felt different.

This felt stranger.

And it told her to stay where she was.

When she was finished, Toriel stood up and waited for the lunch break to be over, to finish the last half of her shift, waiting for Gaster to single her out, again. She wanted him try to distract her away from his abuse of her friend, so that she could put to test the many ways she intended to ignore him, for the _sake_ of this friend.

She wanted a fight.

* * *

Everyone was in place.

No one was sure who was supposed to go first.

Everyone was waiting for the other to start.

Then, finally, one did, the person they'd forgotten about, and hadn't thought to consider a threat.

Until now.

After, a threat would be all _anyone_ saw.


	27. Separation Anxiety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the wait. I had to go back and edit a lot of this story, in order for it to make sense better. I think I've managed it, so if you feel you're missing anything, go back and check, first, before asking me about it.

When Undyne felt someone take hold of her hands – and she knew they weren't Alphys's – she snarled, waking up immediately, and jolting, her eye opening and searching around her, her body moving before her brain knew it.

By the time Undyne recognised anything, she was suddenly _behind_ Alphys, who trembled with fear but held her arms out, kneeling in front of Undyne and straddling their two cots to do it.

Undyne stared at Alphys, then.

There was something about it that made Undyne uncomfortable, and she couldn't figure it out. It made her want to scoop Alphys up and hide her, instead.

“it's just me,” sans said to both of them.

He noted that they'd woken up at the same time, and then wondered why he bothered noting it, save for Gaster. He personally didn't need any more notes to give him an answer he already damn well knew.

“i need to do stats. how... how did either of you move the beds...?” he asked, genuinely bewildered, especially by Alphys.

Alphys blushed deeply, especially when Undyne grinned at her weakly - after glowering at sans, still angry at him for hurting her. Both were starting to feel exhausted, now, and just wanted to go back to sleep.

Undyne pulled away, slowly. Alphys noticed, and returned to her cot, her expression falling.

sans noticed, but said nothing, checking Undyne's blood pressure. He wished he could reassure them, that they could hug each other when he was done, but he already had his orders.

And he couldn't afford to disobey, knowing how hard he was being watched, and what it could mean for Papyrus. He hoped it was possible to find a way to keep them together, but knew he couldn't say a word, the camera in this room visible and working just fine.

He knew that if Undyne failed, again, Papyrus was next.

Even with Alphys involved, it didn't matter: the both of them had _already_ failed, so why would Gaster bother?

Papyrus didn't deserve to be tested for _anything_ , let alone undergo any of the things he, Undyne, and Alphys had.

There was silence as he worked, but their hands slowly drifted back together, and they held on, again, looking at each other shyly, from beneath eyelashes or a corner of an eye. Much was being said, but all of it was silent - and without words or signs.

He worked around it, desperate to ask questions, wanting to know if they knew what was going on, too – and if not, how would he tell them...?

_i can't. i can't tell them anything._

_i know undyne’s going to be tortured, as soon as she's healed._

_i know he's lying about this so-called week of healing._

_and i know it's going to kill my sister, too._

_and i can't do shit about either._

But suddenly, he discovered an out. He found a problem, one he knew Undyne didn't have before now, and knew it was because of Alphys.

He wondered if Gaster had expected that, too, and it was why he'd added, “do whatever it takes”.

The last time he'd said that, Undyne had gone into the tube – and almost never made it out. sans had had to drag her out, her complexion already greying, her head falling uselessly forward, her body weightless, too weak to even weep...

What would happen to Alphys, if Gaster meant for _her_ to be in that tube, instead of Undyne?

He didn't know if he could ever be strong enough to put Alphys _in_ it, let alone have to drag her back _out_.

Unless he was right.

Then, it might cause a lot of harm, and not just for them.

 _wait, he wouldn't... he wouldn't do_ that _, would he?_

 _he_ wouldn't _do that._

 _he_ couldn't _._

 _nobody could hate_ anyone _that much, let alone_ two _people._

_he can't. he can't do it._

Gaster could, though.

And probably would.

“Hey,” Undyne suddenly rasped out. “I smell food.”

“yeah,” he agreed, realising he'd finished with both of them, and had written everything down, already, and had just been standing there, staring at his notes without reading them. He set them down, and grabbed the now-cold box of food from before.

This time, Alphys stirred, looking interested, too.

 _of course_ , he realised. _however accidental, they'd somehow ended up with the same issues._

They _were_ connected _._

_fuck..._

Suddenly, sans wished he had power. He wished he _had_ been born a Boss Monster. He wished he had the power to fight, to hurt, to kill, _anything_ , if it meant protecting everyone, including these two, here, from Gaster.,.

 _You already have their dust scattered, don't you?_ Sans asked Gaster silently, his eyes going up to the camera for a second, his face so furious and dark that his eyes went out, just for as long as it took to glare at the camera, before they lit again.

He had no idea, but it did indeed have the desired effect.

 _I won't let you_ , Sans told him. _And I won't let you take Papyrus, either._

Then, suddenly, just like that, he had it.

It was Sans that came up with it: the way to get them – _All of us, emancipated from you, at last!_ – free of this hell, and never hear from us again.

All of if was perfect, except for one thing: it only became perfect once they were _free of Deltarune._

He had no clue how he was going to get them _out_ of here.

_fuck!_

“sans,” Undyne called _, “Please.”_

He blinked his eyes back to life and looked back at her, finding a rare expression of genuine need upon Undyne's face. When he looked closer, he saw them both trembling.

_gaster, you son of a useless fuck, you have no fucking clue what the fuck you’ve done..._

“sans,” Undyne said sharply, getting annoyed.

His eyes kept glazing over, and he kept stopping in mid-activity, forcing him to start again, and take twice as long. She wasn't a fool, but sans also had no filter: he looked guilty, which he knew something they did not.

He looked over, then nodded, his eyes finally focused. “right.”

He opened the box, and when both women caught its scent, two things happened.

The first was that they both leaned forward and blushed, recognising the smell at once and realising they were both reminded of the same thing – and were with that same person. Their fingers clung tighter, and Undyne's felt damp and hot, while Alphys's was burning and dry.

The second thing was that it was that shared thought that made them realise something horrible: after this meal, they were going to be separated.

Except, they were wrong: sans had to get Undyne to F-1, first, _then_ feed her. They couldn't eat it together, because Alphys needed to get better before she could leave - and Undyne was leaving, no matter what.

Undyne didn't understand it all, yet; she was too hungry to try, and Alphys always expected nothing.

sans then explained what Gaster meant to do: bring Undyne back to the pool, alone, to complete her healing, and once she was settled back in, she would eat, then begin that healing.

Alphys figured something like this would be the case, too. She knew that Gaster didn't want Undyne to be happy, and if he _was_ watching, he had to know that Alphys made her happy, by now. 

She already knew she was about to get left behind, yet again, in an infirmary.

But when she saw what the food was, she forgot all of it, and instead _panicked_ , her eyes going to sans while her hands quickly flashed and flapped as she spoke, squeaking urgently and shaking her head, her eyes filled with tears.

‘Does he know? _How_ did he know? How did he find out? Why did he say nothing? _What is happening?!_ Please? Please! _Please?!'_

sans quickly reached over and covered her hands, relieved that they'd been blocked from the camera's view by the cart. She stared up at him, panting with fear, and while Undyne didn't know what was being said, she moved closer to Alphys, placing her arms around her andglaring over her trembling shoulder at sans.

“stop talking!” he hissed. “what's the matter with you, alphys?! what are you even talking about?!"

Alphys shook her head. ‘He knows! I eat snails every day!'

Undyne was about to interject, to tell Alphys - without telling sans - what Toriel had told her about her own capture, and how Alphys _was_ bait, but unknowingly...

Instead, sans lost his temper over what he thought was nonsense. 

“yeah, he knows that, maybe? how and why does that matter? it's just _snails_ , alphys, for _fuck's sake!_ and it's for later, anyway; undyne is going back in f-1, and you're staying right here, overnight! just accept it and be happy he's fucking feeding you at all!”

sans was growing impatient with her, angry that he hadn't thought to make sure that the food not only enticed Undyne enough to make her exit easier, but that Alphys didn't know about it until after they'd left.

He didn't need Alphys's fears to add even more misery to this bitchy mare of a night.

Alphys grew meek when he snapped at her, especially when she realised that sans - and thus Gaster - did _not_ know about her criminal lunches. Instead, his yelling had scared her into averting her face and shaking, tracing ‘Okay,' over and over until he stopped, desperate for him to stop...

Through all of this, Undyne watched and frowned. It wasn't just the subject matter, though the idea of being away from Alphys did hurt her. There was something strange about the two of them close together, and it was especially prominent in their body language.

_“Does she have a last name?”_

Undyne didn't like what it implied. She didn't want to think about what it meant. And she no longer wanted an answer to that seemingly benign question.

“It's fine,” she said softly, her hand going to Alphys's shoulder. “We both could use some food, eh?” She avoided admitting that she _had_ heard sans talk about separating them, hoping that if she did, she could somehow make sans forget about it.

Alphys also knew that it meant separation, but her eyes went to sans.

‘You saw it. You now know it. You now know how much she means to me,' she told him, her expression blank.

He nodded, then sighed, and answered, making sure both were hidden from the camera. ‘and what _you_ mean to _her,'_ he signed back. 'yeah, i do know, now'

Alphys didn't like that. She didn't like _any_ of it. She didn't want to eat, if it meant being separated from Undyne – and decided that that was exactly what she was – or wasn't – going to do.

Ignoring Alphys's expression, sans went over to them, and one after the other, he unhooked and removed their oxygen masks.

It was a great relief, especially to Undyne, whose jaw had been strained from the mask. She reached up to crack and massage it, wincing a little.

However, Alphys said nothing else. She, too, massaged her face, but as she didn't verbally speak, it didn't matter, really. She could breathe fine without it, now, but her hands were still, and her eyes were dark and frozen on sans.

“So we're gonna eat _here_ , yeah?” Undyne then said, knowing exactly what she was saying - and doing - with what she said - and she didn't care.

“nope,” sans answered, his back to both of them as he started putting all the equipment away, before pushing it out into the hall, leaving the food on one of the bedside tables.

He got back before Undyne could steal it, and instead, he set the box upon her bed, right between her feet, before going over and pulling her bed away from Alphys's, raising the side rails to do so. 

Undyne was distracted by the food – until she understood what he was doing. She looked up, and noticed that her bottles of blood were empty. She did feel a great deal better, and knew any lingering discomfort was hunger-based, but when sans pulled her bed away, she looked up – and snarled, her hand reaching out and grabbing the side of Alphys's bed.

Alphys had watched sadly and without a fight, knowing it was inevitable but also wanting them both to eat, but as they moved further apart, her expression changed, and she flinched a little, looking up, too. Her jars were also empty, and she knew she had no right to try, anyway.

Both she and Undyne were hooked up only to saline – but sans was closing Undyne's, pulling the IV out as Undyne tried to slap him, furious that he was doing what he was – bribing her with food – and had thought it would distract her away from her siren.

“the last time you took this out yourself made you come back here,” sans snapped. “wanna stay longer?”

Undyne's eye went to Alphys, who was watching in silence, her expression one of pure misery. But Alphys didn't protest, not because she didn't care, but because she wanted Undyne to get well, and knew if she stayed here, that would not happen.

 _“Yes!”_ Undyne cried, anyway, seeing all of that – and what Alphys stubbornly refused to show, pretending she had no feelings, no thoughts, didn't exist...

I _know you exist!_ Undyne thought, her eyes filling with tears even as she felt sans bandage her hand. _And I know you're real! And... I never--!_

Alphys winced, then, reaching up and covering her mouth and looking away, her shoulders shaking and her eyes closed. She'd already gone too far, and had no clue what Gaster was going to do to her after seeing what he had, already. She didn't want to watch Undyne leave her life, too.

 _“Alphy!”_ Undyne shouted. “sans, let go, don't, _stop it!”_

But sans didn't; instead, he swung Undyne's bed around, so that she could no longer see Alphys, and began to wheel her out of the infirmary.

 _“No!!”_ Undyne screamed, reaching up and digging her claws into the door, holding it as tight as she could, hoping it would keep her there...

She overestimated what little strength she had left, and as soon as sans pushed past the door, she was forced to let go. She tried to climb out of the cot, but her weakness threw her back down. She blacked out for a moment, stunned by her own fragility, but by the time she'd come to, she was already on her way back to F-1, box of food and all.

Undyne laid there, covered her face, and burst into tears. She didn't want to eat, anymore.

Not if it meant being without Alphys...

* * *

Gaster watched, his eyes wide, barely able to keep himself from leaning closer to the screen.

Undyne was fighting sans – or trying to.

She was weeping. She was frantic.

Then, she was too weak, and she blacked out, forgetting herself.

And Alphys had had to look away, had to try to detach, all while looking like her heart was being broken – ripped in two.

 _Interesting_.

When he saw that Toriel was still hovering at the doors, his eyes remained on that screen, calculating how long he had to get rid of her. He picked up his phone and paged her to the restrooms, using the automated system he'd installed, and he watched her react.

She looked up, then her eyes closed, and she lowered her head. With a sigh, she used her cart to help herself to her feet, then slowly push the cart away, toward where she'd been paged.

As calculated, as soon as she turned the corner, so did sans, and they both never saw each other – another perfectly-timed manoeuvre. He noticed that sans checked before he kept going, and then, after a swipe of his card, he pulled Undyne back into her prison, all while she was barely aware of it.

But she still cried, even with her eye closed. Even with the patch over her left eye socket (that nurse did have a point, and had sans put it on as Undyne slept). Her hands were held to her chest, over her heart, and they shook.

_No. Wait._

He squinted, quickly going right up to the screen, wishing he knew how to zoom in. But he did see enough, before she vanished behind the thick metal doors.

Her fingers _hadn't_ been shaking.

They were trying to shape something, something that made her cry harder, but she still kept doing it, over and over.

But it was too shaky and blurry, and Gaster couldn't make it out.

At the same time, while his eyes were glued to that monitor, Gaster also missed a door opening out into the opposite hallway, as well as the figure that slipped out of it, and ran quickly down that hallway – toward the infirmary.

Papyrus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am putting a pin into this project for now, as I have several others I need to start/finish, and my drive for this story crashed not long before writing this. If/when I get it back, I appreciate the wait if you did.


	28. Friends and Family

The entire time, Alphys did indeed sob, finding her speechlessness useful for this, alone. She hunched over, covering her face with her hands and crying into them, rocking herself slowly and trying to stop her body from shaking, from asking for food, from keeping her away from Undyne...

It hurt to cry so hard, even moreso without the oxygen. Her head especially ached, and when she reached up, she found bandages there, covering a small spot. She tried to remember, then realised that she probably didn't remember because her head hurt, already.

She leaned back, covering her eyes with her palms and letting herself cry, knowing that even if she screamed, no one would hear it, let alone care...

The only person who cared just left her behind.

She was so distraught that she didn't hear someone else come in, attracted by the noise that had startled him, only to cut off abruptly. Curiosity, alone, led this person to her, and it would be that very same thing that would help free her.

The touch upon her elbow scared Alphys so much that she tried to scream, feeling the pressure of such a powerful sound, but without release. She closed her eyes, trying to move away, terrified and hurting and alone, _so alone..._

“HEY, CAN YOU HEAR ME?”

Alphys stopped, her fists held in front of her face, trying to hide within her own body. The pressure cut off, leaving her to close her mouth. She was too afraid to look, yet, but she went silent, and stopped fighting.

Instead, she nodded, her tears burning scorched lines within her bloodless cheeks. She didn't recognise the voice, save that it was new, loud, but also... _pleasant_.

Young-sounding. Friendly.

It was such a strange tone of voice to encounter after what had happened, and it left Alphys dazed. Slowly, she lowered her arms, just as the voice spoke, again.

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT? THAT LOOKED VERY, _VERY_ SCARY.”

She nodded, to both sentences, and when there was a pause, she finally managed to open her eyes.

They landed on dark sockets, a sight that would have terrified her – had she seen them upon sans or Gaster. But while _this_ person was indeed a monster as well as a skeleton, something was different about him – and not just in looks. He wasn't anything like the other two, and that especially included what she was now feeling.

Their eyes met, and they _recognised_ each other, but not as the siblings they did not know they were. Alphys was seeing something within this young man, something that she never knew she had eyes that _could_ – and he was seeing the same something within her.

Alphys hadn't realised that the last time her eyes met Toriel's was long before Undyne and Alphys touched hands – across the Underground.

A touch that had opened them both up and to each other, yes.

But it had also unlocked something tightly closed within Alphys, something she was only now figuring out.

 _Almost_.

It was something she realised she could _not_ truly accept, right now, and refused to look within that now-opened door. She was too afraid, and accepted her cowardice without 

Instead, she shakily raised her hands, and asked, ‘Who are you?'

Papyrus had been gaping at her, unaware that he was doing so. He was recognising the very same thing within Alphys, but unlike Alphys, he didn't know what it meant, and thus didn't know how to ignore it.

And since she acted like she _didn't_ understand, he felt too shy to try to ask.

When she moved her hands, though, it seemed to wake him up, and he watched them closely, surprising her.

Before she raised them, Papyrus signed back. ‘I'm P-a-p-y-r-u-s,' he spelt out, before smirking and signing the word for the parchment.

It made Alphys laugh, the gesture surprising them both, as Papyrus hadn't expected her to find it funny, and Alphys hadn't expected an answer at all, let alone a clever one.

She did the same for her name, also using the picture version, and he smiled. She then added, ‘I'm not deaf; I can hear you,' so that he could relax.

He smiled, then shrugged and sat down, pulling over a spare chair he saw, and sitting where Undyne's cot had stood.

‘My father likes to spy on the rooms,’ he signed back. ‘Since there's no audio, it helps him know what we are saying, so I don't have to repeat it for him, later.’

Alphys laughed again, surprised a second time. Though she still felt her heart bleeding from Undyne's loss, she was willing to be distracted away from it, and laughing was something she knew she needed to do.

Plus, she'd never seen anyone else so cynical toward Gaster, other than Toriel, and it felt nice.

‘He's your father?' she asked, before using her blanket to try and remove the remnants of her tears. ‘Your brother is sans?'

Papyrus nodded. ‘I don't know much about my father, but I do know how nosy he is. He always asks me a thousand questions each time he visits me!'

He waved at the camera, and Alphys smiled, though she swallowed hard, feeling nervousness, too.

If Gaster _was_ watching, and Papyrus was indeed his son, she needed to be careful. She didn't know how loyal he was – or perhaps _wasn't_ – and didn't want to risk the wrong thing getting back to their Leader.

Especially now.

‘You're crying,' Papyrus told her, after placing a bony hand upon her forearm for attention, forgetting she wasn't deaf. ‘Are you alright?'

Alphys knew she was crying, and was not alright, and she hated it. She couldn't tell him why, because she didn't trust him, yet, but she needed a reason that wouldn't bring up Undyne, but would explain her distress, without lying.

Then, she answered with the truth; ‘I'm very hungry, I’m very sick, and I'm very alone. And I desperately need something to at least drink, as well as eat. All of it hurts me at once, so I cry.'

It was oversimplified, as she was treating him younger than she assumed he was, but even that wasn't it. Rather, Papyrus looked _kind_ , and had a light about him that had yet to be tarnished by the harsh realities of their world. He, too, was fragile like her, but in a different way, in a way she, herself, never got to have.

So she refused to hurt this young man, refused to use his innocence against him, and while it made her seem condescending, she meant it with all of the kindness she could find left within herself.

‘I thought it was because it feels weird when our eyes meet,' Papyrus replied, so bluntly and with little expression change, that Alphys was silent, her hands held to her chest.

‘You didn't say anything, but I know you --,’

Alphys covered his hands, shaking her head quickly. Her eyes met his, and her gaze stopped him, his hands falling to his chest, now. She swallowed hard, placing one hand over his shoulder – one covered in what looked like a deflated ball, only used as an epaulet – closing her eyes for a moment.

She didn't want to look into that room, yet, still a coward, and didn't want him to push her in while he rushed ahead of her and into it.

‘Ask your father,' she then signed, her fingers trembling.

She was starting to feel her hunger worsen, and she closed her eyes, lying back and putting a hand to her head, feeling it pound alongside her cracked heart.

“YOU'RE _STARVING_ , NOT HUNGRY.”

Alphys jumped, her eyes snapping open, and she realised she hadn't expected such a loud voice to come from so polite a signer. He looked at her kindly, and she nodded.

‘Starving,' she agreed. ‘I can't leave here without eating, and I’m waiting for someone to come by with something. I want to leave.'

She signed that deliberately, in case Gaster was watching, so that maybe he would finally give her food and set her free.

Papyrus frowned, thinking, before he nodded. “ALRIGHT. NOW I KNOW WHY I NEEDED TO COME HERE: TO GET YOU FOOD.”

Alphys tilted her head, confused. She sniffled, wondering if she should grab the oxygen mask back. She felt like her entire head was stuffed with cotton, and she could barely concentrate.

‘Oh no,' she signed clumsily, though she oddly didn't feel fear, like she usually would. ‘I can't keep--,'

She finished the sentence with her hands suddenly dropping into her lap, her eyes closing without her asking them to. Her head tilted back against the pillow, but she didn't feel it.

She didn't feel anything...

Papyrus was scared, and he touched her shoulder, nudging her. She didn't stir, and he looked around, before hesitating – then running out.

 _This place isn't as big as Snowdin_ , he thought. _There has to be food, somewhere._

_She needs to eat. She's not okay._

He didn't know why this was so important to him, but it was. He didn't like how pale she'd looked, how sad she seemed, how listless her hands were...

Papyrus ran, in the only direction left for anyone else to go, but had not gone down there, yet.

He missed all of what happened in between.

* * *

Undyne felt herself touched, and she was awake, slapping at the hands and keeping them away.

Only her hits were like little pokes, and her growl was a weak mewl. As soon as she finished, she fell back, seeing black spots and feeling cloudy and strange...

She must've dozed off for a moment, because the next thing she knew, there was an arm under her neck, and a spoon at her lips. She tasted salt, and chives, and almost spat it out – but did not, her brain refusing to let her body do such a thing.

She _needed_ it.

With a slight cough, because it was a shock to her throat, she then swallowed, trying to add that she wasn't going to fight him. She _couldn't_ , so she let her actions speak for her.

He made sure not to keep her waiting, having a spoonful ready as soon as she'd downed the one before it, revealing that she was lucid. Her body remained limp upon the cot, her body no longer up to fighting.

The broth tasted _wonderful_ , and she heard herself make noises that would have shamed her, had she not been starving. She even started to cry, her tears saltier than any broth...

“shit, undyne. i'm a dick. i'm sorry.”

Undyne didn't answer, instead focusing on the next spoonful. If he kept going, she would have no problems forgiving him, despite not remembering what he'd done, yet, her brain slow.

“christ,” sans muttered, using his other hand to make sure her face remained uncovered, so that not one drop would be wasted.

But when he saw how greedy she was for mere vegetable stock and water, he felt terrible for how she'd been treated – and how he'd treated her. He hated that he'd had a part in it – but knew that he would still have not done much different, especially with Papyrus involved.

 _Indeed_.

Undyne's head felt heavy and hot against his arm, something he felt through his coat. He was worried it meant that she was feverish, but then noticed she was sweating, too, and concluded correctly that it was the soup's heat.

She looked young, all of a sudden. She looked half her age, again, and sans was spooning _water_ into her mouth, between paper-dry, cracked and bleeding lips, her whole body feeling like a dried husk upon a cold floor that Undyne couldn't feel...

But he wasn't. Undyne wasn't that girl, anymore.

Somehow, Undyne loved his botched sister – and she loved Undyne.

Somehow, that his sister wasn't a sexless nobody, but someone who knew sexual languages more than he, himself, could probably ever be taught, let alone speak.

Somehow, his father trusted sans enough in this room to keep a camera out of it, even with sans inside of it.

When sans ran out of broth, and slowly lowered her head back onto the pillow, Undyne stirred, her mouth still open and hoping for more.

He wished he could have given her those snails, but not if she was starving. He could easily make a new batch.

 _Not that Gaster had thought to_.

 _sans_ been the one to suggest the snails in the first place. It was a very common protein used Underground, so he still didn't get why Alphys was scared of seeing it.

But by now, he knew how smart she was, and knew she would never just fuck around. If she was afraid of something, there was good reason.

Undyne was twitching, her hands reaching out, her eye open, but also dark with exhaustion. Her fingers fumbled, and sans tensed, waiting for her to try to fight him.

Instead, to his shock, tears began to streak down Undyne's cheeks, seeing Alphys behind her eyelid with each blink, and wishing she was _here_...

‘Alphys and Undyne,' she signed. ‘Together.'

sans closed his eyes, and for a moment, he had to walk away, certain that if he linger, he would lose his composure.

He was starting to think that perhaps he _did_ need Alphys, here, even if Undyne still ate without her.

But clearly, Undyne needed Alphys.

It had hurt Undyne to sign that, to let her lips part and set free her sobs. She kept her eye closed, feeling her tears slip into her ears, then soak her hair, but she couldn't stop. Her hands covered her face, and she turned over, trying to hide her face within the thin pillow of her cot, to smother herself with it.

“undyne, the pool is beside you,” sans called to her, taking one of her hands and dipping her fingers into it.

She shuddered, her skin awash in gooseflesh, and she swallowed, moving it deeper without his help. The waters curved and curled around her fingers like smoke, and when she moved her foot over to do the same – and found the water – she then just let her body slide in, as if she were cement being poured into a mould.

sans watched her, going to the edge of the pool to do it. She sank, and slid down to the deeper end, her limbs floating above her and her body touching down on cold metal. She laid there – somehow; even Gaster didn't know how – and stayed very still, her hospital gown and greasy hair floating above her like strange seaweeds.

When he noticed that she was indeed breathing – he could see some bubbles near her sides – he turned away and moved back to the desk set up there, leaning against it to keep himself up on his own feet. He reached up, covering his eyes for a moment, before letting his hand slide down his face, before it dropped to his side.

It still trembled.

Undyne stared up at the thin, mirror-like shield of water that sparked above her, bright enough to dance off the metal pipes and girders. She bit her lip, wishing she was seeing a figure, instead, and her hands reached up.

She stared at them, watched them wave and warp within the water, and she felt herself crying, again. The ache within her belly had eased, but even sans knew she was still hungry.

She didn't want to eat, though.

Not snails. Not alone.

_Alone..._

“Undyne and Alphy, together,” she whispered, signing it, too, save the nickname part.

That was what made sans just let her sink and hide.

He shook, his eyes out but open, unable to move, even though he knew he had to. He knew he had to get going, to feed Alphys, to see if he could sneak her in here, and not just because of Gaster, either.

He knew Alphys had taught Undyne that phrase. He knew, because of the way she'd taught Undyne how to sign her name.

‘Undine', ‘waterfall'.

And ‘beautiful'.

He lowered his head, then closed his eyes, slowing his nervous breaths.

“I don't know what to do,” he whispered, his voice low and disconcerting. He looked up at the tube, and knew – no longer feared, but knew – that Alphys would go in there.

Unless he did something to stop it.

He needed to know what happened fifteen years ago. He needed to know what it was that broke Undyne, almost murdered Alphys, and why it was still happening.

So that he could figure out either a way to stop it – or as a means of setting them all free.

_I just need to get us out of this fucking hell!_

He heard a splash behind him, and he turned around slowly, nervously.

Undyne was there, leaning against the lip of the pool. Her eye was still dark and on his every move, but she said nothing.

Sans tried to understand, tried to read her body language, but she propped her arms against the rim and hid all but above her eyes with them, her right eye still on him. The patch remained; she decided she liked it, but also knew Alphys wouldn't.

For a moment, she actually distracted herself from her entire plan, the idea of that oddly arousing to her. It was like being fully naked before Alphys, in everything and every way, and—

“what do you want?” he asked, his eyes lighting up, again, when he focused on her.

Undyne snapped out of it, her ears red despite her hidden face, and she looked away, swallowing hard.

“I want...” Undyne muttered, before closing her eye. “…what I can't have. D'you still got that radio?”

“yeah,” he agreed, remembering it. “want it set up?”

She nodded, and he went to find a place, happy for something boring to do. He plugged it in and set it up against the desk, moving said desk closer to the pool.

“music or speech?”

Undyne raised an eyebrow at him. He smirked sadly, turning it to music, and a shared music station blared to life.

It was stuff Undyne liked, but not here. She shook her head. “Nah, not that,” she whispered. “Soft stuff. For old assholes like you.”

He glared at her, but she shrugged; he _was_ older than her. She wasn't lying. He knew what she meant, anyway, and found a suitable station: classical music.

She smiled, her eye softening, and immediately, from the first note, she was somewhere else. She loved a good rock ballad, but she also loved a _real_ ballad, and she knew stations like these were built around always and only playing this kind of soft music. She'd found deep – literally – comfort in music for her first year back home, listening to the natural songs of the echoflowers, but also, if she focused, her own voice. Her own soft ballads soothed her, too.

And when one of them attracted someone's attention... or vice-versa...

Alphys, sliding into the water with her, to listen to the music below, to hear what Undyne did, so they could share what others missed...

Undyne buried her eyes into her forearm, angry that she wanted to cry again.

“When is more food coming?” she demanded, staying angry to stay calm.

_‘When I say so.'_

Undyne paled, and Sans pulled away from the radio, forgetting to turn it off.

It wasn't on that loudly, but it was a weird backdrop, all the same.

Gaster barely heard it, his eyes on Undyne, already.


	29. Mistaken Solutions

Alphys was dozing when she felt a hand on hers, and she stirred awake, confused. She didn't know that she was awake, yet, and mouthed a word as her fingers twitched.

But it wasn't the name of her guest.

Alphys looked up – and lit up, her eyes going wide and her arms out, needing to be hugged.

Toriel smiled, her eyes closed and her own arms out, and they embraced.

Alphys clung to her, desperate for more physical comfort, no matter the kind. She felt her body break into a cold sweat, but even when she tried to swallow it back, she felt her eyes close, and her next memory was of herself now lying down, Toriel’s voice snapping her back awake.

“You're _starving,”_ Toriel whispered, gently stroking Alphys's forehead, her cool fingers a relief for the younger monster. She didn't open her eyes, now, barely capable of thought beyond present tense, and when she tried to sign, her hands refused to obey her. Instead, she just laid there, panting from the effort, barely remembering how to do that.

Toriel was heartbroken. It was just as she'd feared: Gaster was, as usual, neglecting Alphys. She didn't know just how much had changed between her last visit and now, and didn't know that Gaster's absence was a great comfort for Alphys.

“Alphys?" she called.

Alphys nodded, swallowing hard, her throat so dry that it still hurt. She felt so awful that all she wanted to do was sleep, but she knew that if she did, and Papyrus came back, he might not wake her to eat, and she _needed_ food.

“Alphys, what happened?”

Alphys sobbed in reply, surprising herself as well as Toriel, even thought it was silent. It was still harsh, and _looked_ harsher, painful to witness.

Then, Toriel's ears twitched, and she turned around, before she stood up straight, her eyes landing on – who else? – Papyrus's.

He stared back with added shock, as while he'd heard so much about Toriel, this was his first time seeing her, and it was a surprise, indeed.

But upon seeing her, however, he frowned, blinking hard and walking closer, his arms cradling a large paper bag.

Toriel looked back, her mouth open and her mind almost forgetting Alphys.

“HELLO, LADY TORIEL,” Papyrus said, offering her a smile and a careful bow. “WOWIE! BOTH OF YOU HAVE SUCH INTERESTING EYES!”

Toriel gaped at him, but he went past her, moving to Alphys, who was stirring, again, already smelling something edible and needing it, now, whatever it was. She needed Toriel’s help, and Toriel wanted to help her.

Questions could always be answered later.

Toriel pulled over a bed-tray, and Papyrus set the food upon it. As Toriel watched, and Alphys listened, he set the food out with the grace of a professional, explaining everything he placed before her.

By the time he'd given Alphys a spoon, the small paper bowl of cafeteria soup looked almost... _special_. Presented to her like a treat.

It was so nice, so sweet, that she blushed, looking up at him with shy shock; he'd just done something so nice for her, after barely knowing her. She raised her hands, but he instead led the spooned one to the soup, and she obeyed, her hands shaking.

It was broth, but with both vegetable and snail stock, and it also had bits of soft vegetables in it. It was _very_ hot, something Alphys really liked, and she was already sipping it down, her face slowly gaining some colour back with each gulp.

Toriel was relieved, her eyes going up to the clock; she'd just come back from putting her cart away, and was here to offer Alphys a day at her own house, so that she was not alone while she slept.

It was morning, now, but Alphys was a stopped clock, gone dead alongside that death of day, and she was still trapped at midnight.

“GOOD?” Papyrus asked Alphys, keeping Toriel silent for a moment, her eyes now sharply on him, but with no eye-contact.

Alphys opened her eyes and looked up at him, nodding gratefully, and he put his hands – gloves? – on his hips, looking rather proud.

“IT'S THE VERY LEAST I CAN DO!” he insisted.

“Sorry, who are you?” Toriel asked, though she knew she already had the answer.

He told her, and she winced, trying not to look immediately at Alphys when she did.

Luckily, Alphys didn't notice, too hungry to, but unluckily, Papyrus did, and he looked back at Toriel, blinking - _somehow_.

Then, Toriel took a breath, opened her eyes as much as she could, and moved them to Alphys's eyes.

It startled Alphys, and she dropped her spoon, her own breaths catching. She flinched, responding to something she didn't understand - or even _know_ \- yet. All she knew was that it was like being _slapped_ , right across the face, and _that_ was a feeling she knew she'd never forget...

Alphys stared at Toriel, shaking very hard, now. She recognised it: the same strange feeling that had slapped her when she'd made eye-contact with Papyrus. This time, however, it was more intense, but it made her too scared to look away. She couldn't even move her hands, couldn't speak, confused fear paralysing her.

Toriel stared back, her hand over her chest, feeling her own heart race against her palm.

_That's it, then._

Toriel's mind offered these words to her, and at first, she didn't get what it was. She finally had it before her, _all_ of it before her, but she was speechless. Both needed her to explain, but she could not.

Later, she would be glad; if she'd revealed a _word_ of it to anyone, _especially_ Alphys, a lot more people would have died.

But Toriel knew  _had_ to lie to these two, terrified. If he found out, she had no idea what Gaster would do to _either_ of them, and didn't want to.

Gaster _didn't_ know, and Toriel wanted to keep it that way. 

 _My reaction is on camera_ , she then realised. She didn't know that Gaster wasn't there. _He'll ask. I'll need a lie that works for both of these two, without the truth._

But nothing came to her, shocked panic making her stupid. Instead, she sought to cover it up.

“It's wonderful that you found her some food. Thank you,” she said carefully to Papyrus. “She already looks better.”

Alphys blushed, confused by all of this, and she shakily signed, ‘Please, what is happening...?', at least three times, before Toriel finally snapped out of it, and realised _she_ was the one being asked.

“Alphys, I don't think you should be alone, today,” Toriel quickly said. “You fell, you hit your head, you were starving, you were anaemic--,”

_No, no, bad topic, change the subject, hurry!_

“—and I’m worried you'll be too tired to make it home, safely, on your own," Toriel finished.

Toriel was sincere, and Alphys could tell. But she could also tell that something was up, something she needed to know, but also needed to keep to herself.

And Alphys didn't want to. She didn't want to hide anything. She didn't want to just keep whatever it was between her and Toriel. She didn't want _any_ of the Dreemurrs to know.

Alphys wanted to talk to _Undyne_.

But Toriel would not budge, even when, reasonably, Papyrus said, “I DON'T THINK SHE'S IN ANY DANGER. SHE SEEMS MUCH BETTER.”

“Yes, and I’m grateful,” Toriel told him honestly. “But if you're who I think you are, then you need to get back to your room before anyone sees you gone.”

Papyrus looked away, the youthful stubborn frustration making his face look less friendly, which seemed impossible – until one saw it.

“CAN I COME BACK?” he asked, knowing he needed to see Alphys, again.

Alphys felt it, too, and she nodded before Toriel could speak for her.

‘My next shift,' Alphys said. ‘If I can.' She touched his hand, and smiled, something he returned. ‘Thank you... friend.'

It was assumption – no, it was _want_ ; she _wanted_ his friendship – but when he smiled, she realised they already were friends, and she smiled back with deep relief.

“OKAY,” he said, before waving at the camera and heading out, the sound of his running easy to hear with the door open.

Alphys looked a little sad, but mostly wilted, like she couldn’t possibly look or feel any more sad than she already was.

“Alphys, let's get you home, now, if you're well enough and able,” Toriel insisted after a moment, one Alphys spent drinking up the rest of the soup. “You _cannot_ be alone, right now.”

Alphys looked up at her, her eyes oddly dark, and again, Toriel felt _it_ , just as Alphys did – hence why her eyes were dark.

It wasn't as bad as a slap, anymore, but it was still startling. It kept her hands still, and she didn't say anything for a moment, looking quickly away and focusing on finishing her soup.

Then, Alphys pushed the tray away, and asked, already trying to sit up, ‘What happened to--?' she paused, then concluded with, '--the A-s-s-e-t?’

Toriel blinked. “I don't know. My guess would be back to F-1; he made me clean it, again.”

Alphys looked out the door for a moment, longing upon her face, and Toriel wondered if Alphys was crazy enough to try and go to F-1, too.

She wanted to.

But she also had to have a plan, just in case something – _anything_ – went inevitably wrong.

Alphys nodded, instead, and slowly, with Toriel's help, she got redressed and ready to leave.

Alphys, the moment she was on her feet, swayed, even when her tail jerked around wildly to make up for her lack of balance, despite using the cane, too. She felt herself pale, and she leaned against Toriel, grabbing hold of her arm tight, giving her time.

 _Maybe Toriel's right,_ she thought glumly _. I'm not okay..._

By the time they were walking outside and free of the building, together, Alphys still held up by Toriel, and Asgore was already waiting.

Alphys kept looking back, feeling like this was wrong, that she shouldn't leave, and needed to stay…

But then, her eyes were drawn to who stood beside Asgore: Metta – _no, Metta_ ton, she saw with a smile. _The perfect distraction..._

Toriel was surprised, as she'd never seen him before now, her home life still rather separate from Alphys's. But Alphys immediately let go of Toriel's arm and grabbed Mettaton's, looking relieved.

Strangely, it hurt Toriel a little, having been committed and completely prepared to nurse her still-sick friend.

“Hello,” Mettaton greeted both of the Dreemurrs, giving them both a little bow. “What's wrong?”

‘Long story,' Alphys said shortly, her hands moving so fast that Toriel felt struck by them. ‘I need help home. Can you?'

“Of course,” he agreed, and Alphys held onto his arm. “Thank you for helping her. Should I call you if she can't come in tomorrow--?”

‘I am,' Alphys broke in, her hands still sharp. ‘I _am_ going in tomorrow. I _am_ working tomorrow.'

She could tell he wanted to argue, but knew he wouldn't, here.

Asgore looked over at Toriel, then went over and slid an arm around her shoulders.

“If you could call, maybe, with an update? Once all is well?” he asked Mettaton, surprising Toriel.

“I will,” Mettaton agreed.

Asgore gave him their phone number, then the ringer code, before gently steering his wife away, and back toward home.

Alphys stopped her, though, adding the one thing that made sure they were okay.

‘Thank you for saving my life,' Alphys said, her eyes full of tears. She knew Toriel had, and had been trying to thank her for hours, by then.

Toriel hugged her, and she hugged back, all of that cold iciness dissolving between them, one brought over them by that strange feeling they still both felt.

“Please, dear?" Toriel whispered to her, so very worried about her young friend.

‘I promise, when I can, I will,” Alphys added.

Toriel nodded, and then, with a shared smile and wave, they were both led away, going in opposite directions.

_For now._

* * *

Undyne couldn't breathe.

His eyes were on her own, and she was frozen, despite her entire body screaming at her to run, to swim, to hide, to fight...

 _‘Did you enjoy the soup?'_ Gaster asked her, and she flinched, noticing that she was panting and pale, already, with a fear she knew she needn't have.

 _Yet_.

 _‘Undyne, I told you that I would add another day to your week,'_ he reminded her, his eyes flicking to sans briefly, only to see him just as frozen as Undyne.

Undyne's eye, however, narrowed,. That was enough to push her fear away - with anger.

“Yeah, you also said I had a _week,”_ she muttered, barely aware that she was saying it. “But, no, as soon as I'm healed, you're gonna start!”

Gaster looked at sans sharply, correctly assuming that he'd told her that.

sans kept his gaze averted, silent. He had no excuse. He also had no remorse.

Gaster sighed, then turned back to Undyne. 'Alright, let's be honest,' he signed, the words shaping behind him. ‘ _That_ was _my plan. I_ was _going to cheat you.'_

Undyne wasn't even satisfied. She just felt angrier. “Where's the camera?” she demanded, before he could add to his previous answer. “Where is it, Gaster? Let's be the adults we now are.”

sans was staring at her, now, stunned.

Undyne had gone from terrified and meek to hurt and pissed off in mere seconds, and he had yet to understand how she managed such a feat. He wanted to learn.

‘ _There is no camera, Undyne,'_ Gaster admitted, and she looked furious, because she could tell it was true. _‘I have other ways of knowing what can, will, and has happened.'_

Undyne wondered, for one horrifying moment, if he meant Alphys. She _was_ his employee, and he _could_ easily pay her off or something...

But when she tried to apply such thinking to Alphys, it made her feel dishonest, almost ashamed, because the truth was still true: she and Alphys had been together – _intimately_ – for over a decade, now, and she truly felt that she already knew who Alphys was. She saw a side to Alphys that _Alphys_ hadn't even known was being seen by anyone. 

_No._

Undyne had so much _more_ to learn about her, she knew, without a doubt, that Alphys would never betray her, no matter what the price.

Undyne was right.

 _Too_ right.

So instead, Undyne just shrugged, looking away and frowning. “So from the start, you intended to hurt me,” she murmured.

She no longer cared if he spied on her. What difference did it make, if he saw that she'd broken the rules? By now, he  _had_ to know that she knew Alphys, and on a personal level. She knew he'd seen them on the cameras, because he'd made sure to separate them the second they could.

For that, Undyne owed him _nothing_.

 _‘You ask me this, after just returning from the infirmary, into a pool of literal, healing waters?'_ he countered, making sure the words were read by her.

During this, sans was actually trying to leave. He _was_ making notes, and they _were_ accurate, but he didn't know what they said once written down, and no longer wanted to write down more. He could stop only when he heard no more words to record, so...

But more words followed him and cut him off: ‘ _Are you indeed serious?'_ Gaster's words asked. ‘ _You think I would not notice you leaving?'_

sans sighed, sagging a little and turning back, noticing that Gaster's back was to him, still.

Undyne's eye was locked on something on the floor to the side, bright with anger. She noticed that, despite it all, Gaster hadn't mentioned Alphys once. He hadn't even mentioned what had happened to her, in the first place.

_None of this makes sense..._

“Why are you doing this to me…?” Undyne suddenly asked. “Why…? Can’t you just tell me _why_ , so I understand, so I can at least  _try_ to maybe work with you…? You already said it’s possible, that this time, whatever it is you steal from me _could_ be used to help others; _how?”_

Gaster watched her speak, barely reacting to any of it, despite listening to every single sound.

Suddenly, thanks to her – to her, and what he'd seen due to her – he finally found the missing piece to this second shot, one that had been practically tossed into his lap.

 _I truly am starting again from the beginning, and now that I know Alphys_ does _have some use, why not_ truly _start again...?_

_Start anew, but as a second attempt...?_

Gaster grinned.

When Undyne saw it, her entire body went cold, her blood turning to ice when her eye saw it.

 _What have I just done...?_ she thought fearfully, knowing damn well that she'd just helped Gaster with something.

 _If he likes it, it's something_ terrible...

_Then I have to leave, before it happens._

‘ _Undyne, you have six days still remaining, restarting this morning, before we start, again. In return for your –_ continued _– obedience, I'll overlook what you have done already, and will give you the entire week. Once done, so will our work, whether you're healed before its end – or not._ '

Undyne nodded, knowing she had no choice, but she still felt scared. 

sans was hiding behind the desk, now, scribbling down shorthand as she and Gaster spoke.

“I take it that _he's_ gonna babysit me?” Undyne wondered.

 _‘Perhaps,'_ he decided, confusing sans and amusing himself. ‘ _That entirely depends on you, Undyne. You have six days to heal. Perhaps, if you show me something promising, we can... negotiate.'_

Undyne frowned, staring at those dots for a while, but she nodded again.

“Okay,” she repeated.

Gaster smiled, again, truly feeling new excitement bloom. He nodded once, turned around, and walked out, moving so quickly that it looked like he moved on wheels.

When the door closed, his smile curved into something _sinister_ , without a trace of mirth.

It was the smile of a killer, his eyes focused ahead upon his prey, while he teased and tortured it around in circles, tiring it and weakening it.

 _And when they think they have shaken me off,_ he thought, slowly making his way down the hallway, _I will lure them into a false sense of safety. I will dupe them all into thinking they've won._

_And then, once the cork is popped and the flasks are filled, only then will my claws come down, and rip their souls apart._

_And I will be the last one to laugh, this time._

_At last._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh... Yep.
> 
> Strap in.


	30. Ghostly Ghosting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Now that I have found another wind for this story, I'm gonna use it. I hope it lasts long enough to get fun. Slow burn suuuuucks.

Barely into their walk, together, Mettaton sighed, stopped Alphys – and picked her up into his arms, holding her cradled within them, her cheek pressing against the cold metal she'd help shape.

It stunned her, to the point of her hands remaining in her lap. She hadn't even known this body was strong enough, let alone the fact that he, himself, had to be strong, just to lift her up this way, at all. She wondered if it should make her feel insulted, or ashamed of her weakness – or glad, that she'd been able to hone in on such foresight, and she'd merely built a strong body from strong materials.

She hoped this meant the next big development would work just as well, since she'd just finished it over the weekend, and kept forgetting to mention it...

But once she was within those arms, her eyes closed for too long and her face became too pale, her body limper than her hands. She said nothing, made no sound or gesture of protest, and the longer she did – or didn't – forced Mettaton to try and fill the silence, but with his own thoughts, ones that followed the events of this night, ending up being a very, very unhelpful thing be reminded of, indeed.

Mettaton barely knew a third of it, and was forbidden from knowing at least half of it, facts that kept frustrating him into furious silence. It wasn't toward Alphys, but _Deltarune_ – followed closely by the Leader, then the humans.

The fact that he wasn't even allowed to know what had happened to his dearest friend in the whole world was one fact that made him see almost nothing but his own fury, made worse by the worst fact: that he wasn't even allowed to know what she'd been through, despite seeing damning evidence that it was close to life-threatening. He _couldn't_ know, and thus had no idea how to take care of her, save what he'd already been told – which was barely anything on its own...

_There has to be some way to find out what happened, but without bringing the blame to Alphys..._

There was no way for him to know that it no longer mattered, and why.

Not yet.

Then, Mettaton felt his thoughts tank, instead of repeat, when he forced himself to check on Alphys. By now, they were halfway home, the quiet white-noise of the outside sounding worlds away, and it had lulled Alphys into a doze. He kept moving – well, _rolling_ – but once he saw the look on her face, he almost stopped, and instead braked with surprise, before going on, slower.

It was enough to wake her, except that it did not.

Alphys barely opened her eyes before settling down and closing them, again.

Mettaton upgraded the doze to exhausted faint – especially judging by her expression: Alphys's face was _blank_.

He'd never seen it – _her_ – so emotionless, before, as Alphys was one of the most expressive people he'd ever met in this lifetime – and he only knew this because she _trusted_ him with it.

_Like she's trusting me, now._

But what in the world caused her face to look like that?

How could she still maintain such an expression while sleeping?

How was it that her dreams made no impact on her body?

_How is she hiding so well from me...?_

_Especially when I_ need _to see her...?_

He could tell that a lot was wrong, able to form an easy diagnosis by eye (or in this case, lens and eye). Her body still jolted and jerked from time to time, especially if her body began to tense up, remnants of oxygen-starved muscles seizing and protesting. Relaxing was difficult, and often, her eyes would open for a moment before closing, again, her body going rigid until they were shut.

But when _that_ happened, something broke within her, and a flicker of emotion could _finally_ be seen, for as long as it took to blink. Mettaton kept track, putting his body on almost literal auto-pilot and focusing on her, happy that he didn't need to blink.

She began to do it again and again, and he didn't like what he was seeing each time.

Several times, it was fear. Her eyes would darken, opaque with it, and often, she would flinch and make a sound; either a soft snort, or squeaky, breathy whimpers, all of which stopped once she was comfortable, or if he stopped.

Added to that were the times she looked sad – _so_ _deeply_ _sad_ – that her face would crumple, her eyes filling with tears. When she settled, those tears streaked down her cheek, and she calmed.

But most of the time, it wasn't anything like either of those.

More and more, Mettaton caught her _smiling_ , or swallowing hard alongside an increase of body temperature, or even squirming a little in obvious shyness.

Those moments stunned him, made him pause and hesitate, because even though he knew Alphys wasn't okay, those reactions gave him hope for her recovery. He'd already decided that he would nurse her for as long as she needed, but any time she looked happy, he wondered if he should change his mind, or if she needed it.

But since she never woke up completely, Mettaton held onto his plan and kept her close, watching her and watching over her, desperate to find a way to make her feel better.

He couldn't lose her.

_I can't lose her..._

He didn't know _what_ he would or could possibly do without her, anymore. It had been so long, perhaps _too_ long, their friendship tested and teased and tangled up, and while he was no spring chicken, he still felt like he'd only started to... _live_ , really... the second he found her in Waterfall.

* * *

Two weeks after Alphys first escaped Deltarune for lunch, but two more weeks before she began to sing, Metta found her.

He floated over, making sure to keep transparent until necessary, and he floated above the waters. His eyes were glued to her, taking all of her in, and it made him stop right where he was.

She was in her late teens, he saw, or older. She was fat, but also showed signs of recent weight loss, a kind involuntary but barely noticed. She'd clearly been sick, as her eyes were dull and bruised purple underneath, her glasses doing nothing to hide them. She was sitting on the tiles and in the water, but didn't seem to notice or care that she was now wet. If anything, she looked happy. She even smiled, as she pulled her bag to her and opened it, her hands small but her fingers agile and fast.

 _Lunch_ , he realised. _She's - he's? They're? I'll ask - eating lunch. She's eating lunch in Waterfall, a place now illegal and “dangerous”?_

_She's doing that with a smile?!_

Metta eyed her closer, completely enthralled. All she did was stare out in front of her, watching the waters shower into the abyss below, where no one went unless they vowed not to return. She looked calm, and the longer she spent there, the happier she seemed to become. She didn't seem to care at all about the lies spread; all she cared about was a quiet lunch.

In fact, all she did was eat.

When she finished, she made sure she left nothing behind, before getting up – and walking into the waterfall behind her.

It shocked Metta. He moved over to where she'd been, but saw absolutely nothing but water, and the rockface beneath, and knew what it meant.

This was now interesting, and he was now eager to find an answer.

Eternal life had its boredoms, but those with fleeting souls sometimes made it worth while.

He had _no idea._

The next day, she returned, and Metta was closer, watching her. She did nothing different, and left before he could even try to go over, but her mood was still cheerful.

It had embarrassed him, that childish chasing, and he left it for a few days, wondering what was the matter with him, if he was so caught by this - and her.

He felt... _something_ , when he watched her. Something he'd forgotten the name of.

The time apart wasn't kind to him, and it frustrated him further, because he didn't know _why_.

Finally, he went back, and when he saw her return, again, he felt better. This was not long after she'd first sensed that there was more to the water, and she would begin to sing a few days later.

Now, she was sitting on the tiles, but she was alert. Her eyes flicked everywhere, her actions tense and jerky, and when he managed to get close enough, he saw that her face was bright red, and her expression was one of confused hope.

For a moment, he allowed a moment of vanity, letting it convince him that _he_ was the one she was looking around eagerly for.

But it wasn't true; he knew she'd never seen him, before.

This was proven when he realised that, in fact, she really _was_ looking at him, now; he'd floated closer and closer to her without realising that he was visible, and was almost right in front of her by the time he snapped out of it.

Their eyes met, and she bit her lip, her expression still confused – but instead of hope, he saw fear. The blood vanished from her face, and she looked terrified. Her hands were held up, but all they did was tremble. She mouthed words she used to be able to hear herself say, then grew even more frightened when she heard nothing, and couldn't defend herself.

“Oh!" Metta gasped out in surprise, stopping himself.

Alphys leaned back, breathing much too fast already, and Metta felt... something _else_... and it made him pity her.

Clearly, she knew that what she was doing was illegal, and was not only scared of the ghost before her, but the consequences that would inevitably occur because of it.

That was only the half of it.

“Sorry, wait--,” he spluttered out quickly, the second he realised that she was trying to scramble back under the waterfall.

She stopped, as it startled her, and their eyes met again – only now, she was meek, accepting defeat at last.

‘You work for,' she signed, her hands shaking, before she froze, her face going pale. She didn't know the right words, yet, and had only just memorised the basic alphabet and a bunch of everyday words. Her knees trembled, pressed together while still submerged up past her hips in water, and her hands remained still.

“Can you hear--?” he tried.

Alphys immediately jolted and jumped back – before stumbling, her elbows giving out. She smashed into the water tiles with a hoarse gasp, then remained on her side, her eyes closed.

Metta was shocked. He felt _awful_ , especially when she didn't move.

He floated closer – then frowned. He lowered down, so that he too was submerged, and made sure his face was level with hers.

There was a silence, one that felt too long, but within it, alongside gentle splooshes of lapping water, he could hear her breathing, hoarsely, even as a thin thread of blood began to snake away from her, following the water's flow.

In that moment, two fates had almost collided at once.

Alphys had been waiting for the sign that she'd just sensed the day before, the alluring yet ridiculous urge to try to sing, but found a chatty ghost, instead.

Metta had spent so much time trying to figure out who she was, and why she wanted to spend time in a place that was condemned – only to discover her to be a sick, clumsy mute.

And Undyne, hiding just under the waters close by, was trembling so hard that it looked like the water _boiled_. Her eyes were burning, stuck on the wavering yellow shape she made out from the telescope, her throat too dry to sing, now. She was about to leap from the water, and help Alphys wake up, neighbour or not, terrified that Alphys was about to crumble...

But Alphys then twitched, just before anything could happen, and her eyes opened, her vision blurry and dim, despite the glasses still on her nose (magic). She flinched, not remembering how she got this way, but she still could push herself back up. Her head was hurting her so badly that she knew she needed help, and she quickly placed her hand over the cut on her forehead.

Her eyes had seen nothing.

Metta had vanished, and Undyne was watching her carefully, making sure she could walk back through the waterfall and into the wall, where she would be safe.

Alphys did, pushing herself up to her feet and grabbing her unopened lunch. She trudged back through the water – and didn't come back, not even to eat the lunch she'd prepared.

The next day, she returned, and both of her watchers were waiting, unknown to her. She looked tired and bewildered, her forehead bandaged and her posture sad, and she sat down, kept her eyes lowered to her food, and ate in silence, resigned to loneliness once more.

It broke Undyne's heart, and she didn't try to sing, either. Instead, she swam away, too nervous around her neighbour, and too sad to watch Alphys talk to someone who wasn't herself.

This was good, because Metta decided to try again, and he succeeded.

This time, she didn't faint. She just stared, eating slowly. Her eyes were hazy with fear, and she trembled, but since she was able to come back here without trouble, she must have assumed – correctly – that he was not Gaster's spy.

“Hello,” he said softly, and she nodded, though he saw that her lips trembled. “Why are you here? Waterfall is banned.”

Alphys hesitated, then lowered her jar – and her gaze. She held her hands up, and said, ‘Can you read this?'

He nodded; he was old enough to have learnt that at least three times, by now.

‘I just wanted a place where I could sit and feel c-o-m-f-o-r-t-a-b-l-e,' she struggled to explain.

“You’re not afraid of getting sick?”

Her face darkened, to one he loathed, and would see several times after – and sometimes, in worse ways.

‘I am a bad, failed e-x-p-e-r-i-m-e-n-t,' she answered automatically, her eyes filling with tears.

Metta frowned, not liking this answer. “You're already sick? Or sick, but not because this?”

 _He_ knew the "contamination" was a lie, but as far as he was aware, _she_ didn't. 

Alphys smiled, then, the look so sad and so twisted that he'd never seen anything like it – and he was very, _very_ old. She held her hands up, then dropped them, several times, before she just sighed and nodded, looking away.

Metta was quiet, eyeing her closely. There was more to it than that, and he knew it.

She kept eating, aware that he was watching her, and clearly not liking it at all, but she did nothing but eat, save watch back cautiously. 

It spoke of someone with nothing to lose, and since Metta was the same, he just said it: "You know about the tunnels, the ones that are buried and built throughout the Underground, the ones leading to both Labs.”

Alphys was staring at him by the end, her back straight and her face almost white. She looked terrified, and her eyes filled with tears. Quickly, she scrambled to her knees, trying to clean up her half-finished meal and run.

“Wait!” he cried. “Wait, I’m not here to get you in trouble, I just want to know why you're here, and who you are!”

‘Nothing, nobody,' she signed right away.

But she also stopped, sitting back down. She didn't eat, instead putting her food away, and she kept her eyes averted, trembling and crying.

She stayed.

“You know the tunnels,” he repeated.

She flinched, then carefully, _painstakingly_ , signed the following, almost letter-by-letter, simplified here: ‘I know them because I played within them. The Labs were my home. I lived and learnt within them. I loved and lost everything within them. I'm locked out of the place I lost it all, but I live in the place I once thought I knew love.’

It exhausted her, and she slumped, after, covering her face and sobbing silently, her tail going around herself protectively.

Metta was blown away, and felt as if a mere breeze would send him home. He now knew who she was, even if he hadn't known how she looked - or who she looked like.

But the subject clearly brought her deep pain as well as some joy, and... he didn't want to do that. He realised that he'd liked it better when she'd smiled.

He only wanted joy.

“It seems like life didn't go the way you wished it,” he murmured.

She lowered one hand, her eye going to his, wondering if this was mockery.

When it proved to be simply an observation, she answered, still slow. “I wanted to be a scientist, a doctor, like my mother. I wanted to invent things, help people. She taught me a lot, I know a lot.”

Metta didn't know where the idea came from, really. All he knew was that he saw someone simply looking for a way to live a life she'd never wanted, and a way to do that would be to encourage what she never got to do.

And truthfully, it was with some selfish reasoning: he had this idea because he'd been thinking of it ever since he started watching human TV, seeing the myriad different ideas that the humans had, and wondered if there was a way to _use_ those ideas to get closer to them, to finally do what he'd dreamt of, even when he was _alive_...

“I know what it's like to have wasted potential,” he confessed, and it got her attention. She watched him, but he kept his own eyes unfocused, floating right above the tiles beside her, now. “I know what it's like to have your chances taken away before you even get to use them.”

Alphys nodded; that was something easily believed, especially from a ghost.

“I know you mean no harm, here,” he then told her, and she looked relieved. “And you clearly don't know what to do with whatever it is that happened to you. But, if I may, I might have an idea that keeps us both happy, and...”

He couldn't say it. He physically couldn't form the words.

But she raised her hand, and signed, 'L-e-s-s  l-o-n-e-l-y.’

He looked at her closer, and saw not just a wise glint to her young eyes, but a jaded heart. She was speaking for them both, and knew it – and it felt it as such.

“Would you like it if I taught you better sign language?” he offered. 

When she looked sceptical, he smiled – and his sides wiggled, then split, revealing little arms, but long, nimble fingers.

'Don't underestimate me,' he signed.

She jolted, then laughed silently. It was soft, but real, and he could tell.

But she also had doubts. ‘But then what? After done, what do then?'

“Well, it's not for _free_ ,” he replied, and while he figured it would anger her, she instead nodded.

She was clearly used to the fact that nothing, _absolutely nothing_ , was ever free.

It made him feel sad.

When she waved her hand, encouraging him on, he added, “Are you good at metalwork and clockwork? Steam-powered mechanisms? Automatons?”

She frowned, looking thoughtful.

After a moment, she nodded, looking back up at him.

She added, ‘I learn fast. I am,' she hesitated, then spelt out: 'A-l-p-h-y-s.'

"I'm Mettablook," he replied. "Call me Metta."

And that was how the deal was struck – and a friendship was forged - alongside a new body.

* * *

 _But what are we, now?_ he found himself thinking, letting himself into the Lab. _And once we talk, what will happen to us, then?_

The worst part of all was that he didn't know, and wouldn't know, until it was already over.

**END OF PART THREE**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please do not comment or message me about personal issues; I will ignore them or private/delete them at this time. My personal issues have nothing to do with these fanfics, so please do not ask. Just enjoy a story you might like.
> 
> Thank you.


	31. Rules and Laws

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confirmation bombshell incoming. Yes, I'm aware all of you knew, but I want to pretend there's still suspense, anyway.
> 
> Also? It gets real from here on out. This is gonna be pretty intense. I'm not holding back, so keep that in mind.

** PART FOUR: DO YOU REALLY WANT THIS? **

sans was certain that, once they were left alone, Undyne would start on him, either to attack him, yell at him, or simply try to manipulate him, again.

Instead, once they were alone, their eyes met – and Undyne's closed. It closed, and she simply sank down to the bottom of the pool, saying nothing, not even making a sound – save from a small ripple of water, one that appeared once she was already gone.

And... it worked.

It wasn't her complete intent, but Undyne's silence and abandonment, especially when knowing that they were _truly_ alone and unwatched, was a slap across his face. She didn't know it until she touched the bottom.

 _He_ felt it at once, and it hurt.

It hurt worse than being slapped, or screamed at, or even speared.

Because he knew exactly what it meant: he really was dead to her, the sans she'd known as a youth, and this dismissal was confirmation of that. She no longer trusted him, at the time when he needed her trust him the most. He had almost all of the answers to her questions, from the tests up to Alphys, but she asked after none of it. She didn't even ask for more food.

She ignored him.

She wondered, deep down, if doing this was a mistake, as she damn well knew he knew almost everything, especially about her own lover, but... she couldn't trust him. She couldn't. Even when knowing that his actions weren't exactly ones he agreed with, either – he still did what he was told, so it was meaningless to her.

sans sat down at the desk, silently begging Undyne to return, but she didn't.

He waited, for at least twenty minutes, but still, she didn't.

With a hurt sigh he wrote down, _“Asset remains underwater while I’m present. I have chosen to leave at this time, to give the Asset time to calm, to be useful, again. I will return tonight if able."_

sans then broke his pen in half, snapping it with one hand - his left.

He let it drop to the floor, ink staining his fingertips without him even feeling it.

He closed his eyes, his other hand going over his face, before he closed the file, tucked it under his arm, and left.

* * *

Undyne was floating a few feet from the surface, her body horizontal and facing the floor. Her hands floated limply in front of her, as did her hair and feet, and she saw none of it. Her eye was open but blind, the colour dark and empty.

_I can't do this._

She hadn't thought those words in years, but now she was, and almost seemed to anger her.

It _should_ have, but didn't.

She felt a spark of that anger, and her eye closed once from it, but it went out a mere second after, her eye opening.

Her hands were empty, her fingers twitching a little, like the rest of her limbs, but while she felt every single grain of pain she experienced, she didn't cry from it.

She didn't cry at all.

_I can't do this._

_I can't win._

_I can't fight._

_I can't fix this._

_I..._

Her eye fluttered closed, feeling her body floating aimlessly within the embrace of the waters, letting them slowly rock her, like an aquatic breast of a mother she'd never known...

And just then, just when she was about to think it again, another thought came to her.

_Alphy._

The word came from nowhere, shocking her.

That one word, that simple nickname...

It calmed her down, just a little.

She still yearned to give up. She even caught herself about to force her gills closed, or reach up and attempt to strangle herself with her own hands.

But again...

 _Alphy_...

_Her hand, reaching out blindly, and my own, pulled to hers like a magnet..._

_Her eyes gleaming coyly as she told that dirty joke..._

_How familiar she is, even though I've only now just touched her, face-to-face..._

‘You and me, together,' Undyne signed.

Finally, with that, the spell broke.

The world snapped back into being, bringing everything back with it, both the pleasures and pains.

And finally, _finally_ , Undyne could cry.

* * *

When the Dreemurrs got home, both parents were embraced, traded off, and embraced, again, before greetings were even exchanged.

Both Asriel and Chara looked as Toriel felt: exhausted and hopeful, but also wary.

Especially Chara, whose hugs were gentle, but a little shaky. They kept their face averted, but by now, Toriel knew her human child as well as her monster child, and quickly grabbed Clara’s arm, before they could slip away.

Asriel and Asgore noticed, as they just parted from their hug, and were surprised, too.

Chara knew and could clearly feel the gazes on them, but they hide their face with their hair, tugging on their arm fruitlessly.

“Let go,” they said softly.

Usually, Toriel would be fine with letting go. She knew Chara had boundaries, and they ran thick and high. She knew that Chara wasn't as physically affectionate as Asriel, and never would be.

But she also had seen their eyes, and didn't like what she'd found there.

“Chara?” Asriel said, touching their shoulder. “Hey...”

Chara looked up at him, and their face was not the usual look of calm amusement – but of tearful regret, of guilty fear.

Again, they tried to bolt.

This time, both Asriel and Toriel took hold, and Chara cried out angrily, tugging harder.

“No, no, please let me go, _now_ ,” they snapped, their eyes going right to Toriel's.

Toriel used to flinch when she saw the way Chara’s eyes looked, now. She used to see that trapped anger as anger toward herself, but as Chara grew up, and Toriel as learnt more, she knew better.

Now, her eyes went to Asgore, who looked just as confused as she.

But _Asriel_ clearly knew, as when their eyes met, he grabbed Chara’s other hand, pulled them close, and hugged them tight.

Chara fought him for a moment, before going rigid, then quiet.

“What is it? What has happened?” Asgore asked softly, but to Asriel.

Asriel looked back, his eyes dark, even behind his glasses. He rested his chin atop his sibling's head and shook his head, before biting his lip.

“Asriel,” Toriel added. She was already exhausted, already so worn out, that to come home to more discord threatened to make her lose it. She even had to lean on one of the kitchen chairs, to keep herself up, but hoped it went unnoticed by her children, if not Asgore.

Asriel winced, then sighed. After a moment, Chara nodded, and Asriel looked at Toriel, his eyes filling with tears.

“While you were at work, a few hours ago, there was a news bulletin, about a proposed bill for law. About...” He swallowed hard. “Regarding humans... living with monsters...”

Toriel went still, her eyes remaining on her son's, and he looked back. Asgore stepped closer, too, one hand going to the back of Chara’s head, but he was also quiet. He'd already known, and kept his gaze averted; he knew that Toriel would be mad for keeping it from her, but...

When he saw her and Alphys leave Deltarune like they had, looking the way they did, he couldn't find any words for it, anymore. He just... wanted a nice, quiet walk with his wife, before this axe fell, too.

Asriel went on, his voice growing smaller and smaller. “It said, as per a 'decree' from the Leader--,”

Chara snarled wordlessly, then, choking on it a little, but when they felt Asgore's touches, they went quiet, again.

“—that any human living with a monster family Underground will require registration with both governments. He wants to make a tally of all the humans that live down here, so that he can _spy_ \--,”

Chara suddenly wheeled away from him, from all three of them, and raised their head. They were the shortest, but when they looked up like that, the Dreemurrs felt tiny in comparison.

“It's not just _spying,”_ they spat out. “He also wants _reports_. He wants families that are integrated to become _traitors_ to their own loved ones. He wants to weed out the humans he feels are _infecting_ innocent monster families--,"

Chara’s voice broke, and tears filled their eyes. “Is that all we really _are_ , all we  _can_ be?” they demanded, their eyes flicking between all three. “He _agrees_ with the humans on the surface! He wants us all to remain apart! He wants to get rid of humans, to get rid of _me!_ And he wants to get rid of _me_ , because--!”

Again, they choked, their eyes closing tight, as if struck, and they even wobbled a little. Asgore took hold of one of their elbows, but Chara jerked it free with a sob, the act more painful to them than their father.

“Because... I’m a _problem_. I don't belong... _anywhere_...”

Toriel had heard enough. She went over and grabbed her human child, embracing them as tight as possible, pretending to forget those boundaries, just this once, if it meant hugging them better...

But Chara just collapsed in her arms, bursting into tears, before clinging onto her. Toriel kissed them, whispered that it was okay, but Chara kept shaking their head.

Asriel slumped, and Asgore went to him and touched his chin. He only raised his gaze, but his eyes wavered – as did Asgore's.

They both saw the same fear, and seconds after, heard it voiced.

 _“Please, please don’t get rid of me!”_ Chara sobbed out. “Please, I’ll be _good_ , I’ll stay _silent, please--?!”_

When both Asriel and Asgore hugged both Toriel and Chara, that did it. Being surrounded by love would always unlock Chara's heart.

Chara wailed with despair and fear, their only true joy this family, here.

They truly wanted nothing else, not even power.

They just… wanted to be _loved_.

It wasn’t their fault that they’d been found by royalty...

Toriel closed her eyes. She was furious, but also rather stunned. 

Gaster had given no hint toward this happening, no warning whatsoever, and yet here they officially were. Once again, she’d missed what was right under her nose, and it made her weep, the anger so immense that it could only be conveyed through tears.

 _“Never,”_ Asgore then hissed out. “Never will we let this happen. _He cannot touch you.”_

“It's _law_ , it'll be _law_ , he'll make it _illegal_ , for humans and monsters to have families, and _I’ll_ _be illegal_ … I’ll--!” Chara cried.

But when Toriel brushed their tears away, they closed their eyes and collapsed, again, speechless, needing comfort and coddling and love...

“Chara Dreemurr,” Toriel whispered. “Now you listen to me, and hear me clearly! What is your last name?”

“Mom, _please_ \--,”

“I'm _not_ playing,” Toriel added. “Say it.”

“…it's... Dreemurr.”

That had all three monsters hugging their human anew, something Chara did feel, and did let in.

“Exactly,” Toriel agreed. “You are a part of this family, and there is _nothing_ he can do to separate us.”

“Plus,” Asriel broke in, getting Chara’s full attention, like always. “I'm right beside you, and we're able to fight back! Together! He's an idiot if he thinks he can do this, without even bothering to remember his own place in this agreement.”

“He's _never_ taken it seriously,” Chara muttered.

“No, he hasn't,” Asgore agreed suddenly. “But this is serious enough for _us_ – your mother and I – to take it as it is, and take action against it.”

 _“No,”_ both adult children said, before Chara exploded. “If you challenge him, you'll _both_ be dead! Even if you kill him, the humans will rebel, and so will the monsters living like humans!”

“Exactly, those living _like_ humans,” Asriel pounced, surprising them all. “They don't even realise that this will hurt _them_ , too, because they already think they've won. But they will lose, too. And then, they will then act.”

 _“Maybe,”_ Chara finished bitterly.

Asriel pulled Chara away for a moment, moving out of earshot of both parents, annoying both for a moment, before deciding to let it go, and use the time to prep for the day.

But what was said was the following.

“Chara,” Asriel whispered, holding their human sibling's face within his hands.

Their eyes met, and searched the other's, closely, looking for what they wanted and didn't want.

“Listen. _Nobody_ is gonna take you away from us, even if it becomes law,” he told them, and they sniffled. “Nobody will, because _we're_ right on the inside. We can veto _anything_.”

“No,” Chara sighed, “that's what _he_ does, remember? We're not _really_ prime ministers, Asri...”

 _“Doi,”_ he replied. “But that's the point. If we make it known that we _don't_ want it, then golly, Chara, how can everyone ignore us? Even if he does pull that crud, again. We have to keep _trying_ , keep making those tries _public_ , and we gotta start _now_.”

Chara looked fearful, again. “But what about Mummy?” they whispered. “She'll lose her job. She and Daddy might get in trouble for what we do...”

“They have always known that,” Asriel said firmly, both to them and himself, as even he needed this reminder, sometimes. “They trust us. We can't let this one go, this time, Chara…” His eyes filled with tears. “ _I_ won't let _you_ go. You're not leaving this family.”

Chara bit their lip, their heart swelling with love and affection for their brother, and they collapsed in his arms, instead.

Toriel and Asgore left them alone, but also turned their own radio on as their children spoke, Toriel especially keen on an update. She needed to hear it for herself, the exact wording, before she went to sleep for the day _(Hopefully...)_ , so that she could call him out on it the next day. She stood beside it and listened, and Asgore began to cook breakfast, as usual.

When Chara and Asriel came back, the radio was saying something, and everyone went quiet to hear it.

* * *

Alphys woke up when she was settled onto her bed, the sudden solitude startling her awake. She sat up the second she could – before groaning and blacking out for a moment, collapsing back.

Mettaton had expected it, sadly, and simply tapped her cheek gently, to wake her back up and to get her attention. Her eyes opened slowly, before they closed, again, bringing more tapping.

Alphys was awake, felt every touch, and still couldn't move too well. She broke into a sweat, and when she tried to speak, she forgot who she was, and tried to say it aloud.

Nothing came out, and she grunted, frustrated.

“Alphys, what's wrong? Is there anything you can tell me, about why you're like _this_?” Mettaton asked, his hand going up to her forehead and using sensors to check for fever. There was some left, but it was slight, and would be gone with a real sleep.

Alphys swallowed hard, her eyes opening, again. She stared up at the ceiling, recalling the images she'd dreamt of – from being torn into, to being touched, within and without – and realised that everything _had_ changed.

Forever.

When their eyes met, it was the first time Mettaton actually saw her eyes, saw their depths, not to mention the limitations of his lenses when it came to this, but...

He _felt_ it.

Absently, Alphys signed, ‘I need you to give me that body overnight because I have the upgrade, I keep forgetting to mention it, so now that I have, I’m going to forget it, again.’

Mettaton had watched this all in silence, but one that became excited, despite it all. “You do? The android body... you have it completed?”

She nodded. ‘Just needs final fitting,' she replied weakly, rubbing her eyes after. It felt strange, trying to find where his eyes should be...

Mettaton moved away, rolling himself over to the closest corner to the downstairs, before he floated out of it, looking so excited that he even cried, the ghostly little tears disappearing once they left his eyes.

Before he could ask, she signed to him where it was, before letting her hands drop. She kept her eyes closed, listening, but she didn't hear him leave, or feel him float by her. Confused, she looked up – and found Metta hovering right above her, at least two metres apart.

Their eyes met.

Both jumped, but Alphys suddenly sat up and tried to get away from him, unable to look away but still feeling the urge to get away. She shut her eyes the second she hit the wall, and she covered her mouth with her hands.

Metta, however, stayed in place, stunned speechless. He didn’t even move when she started to cry, or when she started to sign, ‘Go away!'

Instead, he just said it: “Alphys, you're... a Boss Monster...?”

Alphys's hands dropped, her expression thunderstruck and incredulous all at once. She bit her lip, looking deeply thoughtful, even as she still cried. She shook her head, though, certain that what he said wasn't true.

 _Wouldn't Toriel of told me?_ was her fair reasoning. _She would know. She would just say it._

_Plus, how? And why? We've met gazes thousands of times, and nothing happened._

_So what's different, now...?_

_Except... when I woke up earlier..._

Alphys felt her whole body react to this, and she couldn't handle it. She couldn't even try to entertain such a ludicrous suggestion, but she also couldn't explain it away.

Instead, quickly, she scrambled over and turned her radio on, desperate for something to cover her silence.

Music came to life, and Metta looked annoyed. She didn't look at him, instead curling up into a shaking ball, and he was not amused by it. He floated over, right in front of her, just as the song ended, and the news break came on. He was about to press the subject, ask for more, ask her what the hell was going on with her, lately...

But the radio drowned him out.

The second both understood what they were hearing, Alphys sat back up, her eyes going to the radio, just as his did the same.

* * *

Undyne had dozed off, happy that sans at least remembered to turn the radio on before he left, and she could hear it beneath the water, thrumming like an external heartbeat. It soothed her, calmed her down, and soon, she could open her eye, again.

She slowly pushed herself up to the platform, sitting down upon it and wringing out her hair. The music slowly faded into nothing, before a voice took over.

And thus, they all heard it.

* * *

“Yesterday, a proposal made by the Leader of the Underground was submitted to the Chambers for review. Because of the nature of it, it was fast-tracked.”

Both sans and Papyrus sat on the floor of Papyrus's room, staring at the small TV screen before them, as a voice-over spoke over stock-footage of the Underground.

“It was read and approved,” the anchor said, “almost immediately, by both monsters and humans. It will become law once it is federally approved, something both sides are confident will happen.”

 _“you fucking son of a useless fuck,”_ sans snarled.

“Usually, a fast-tracked bill like this would be law by tomorrow, but because of the nature of it, and what it will change, the day it becomes law is unknown. Please stay tuned, and as soon as we get them, we'll broadcast the answers.”

There was an odd pause, before the anchor added, “Please don't let this happen--!” before they were suddenly cut off by a commercial.

Papyrus was quiet, as was sans. He was calm, but sans was shaking, his eyes barely lit – he only kept them lit for Papyrus.

“SANS?” Papyrus then asked, touching his shoulder.

sans jumped, then closed his eyes, before lowering his head. He kept shaking, though, and the longer he did, the worse both brothers felt.

“WHAT DOES IT MEAN?” he then asked, sounding afraid of the answer.

Without looking up, sans answered. “our fucking father just petitioned for war.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before now, I've never really written much about Chara, save small things, like for plot. This is my first time writing them, and... it was really easy. I worry it means I don't know their personality enough and am just making one up, so please tell me if my fear is justified? Please?


	32. Topaz Blood

Alphys was unable to move, save the tremors that stole over her body, the second that commercial cut the anchor's plea off. She was having trouble steadying her breaths, but remembered that her puffer had snapped, and knew she had to calm down, she couldn't go back there, yet, not as a _patient_...

“Alphys!”

She jumped, her eyes focusing before her, and Metta glared back, still a ghost – and still making her soul stutter whenever their eyes met. She flinched, covering her eyes, but Metta didn't move away.

“Alphys, you can't hide it from me!” he told her, something she already knew. “I thought you knew what ghosts were, by now! How did this happen to you?! I mean, I knew about _Alpha_ , but--,”

Alphys jumped, then turned on him, the second he said that name, and she actually tried to grab him, to do something to him, maybe push him, or choke him, she didn't know.

But she also tried to scream, to drown him out, because she didn't want to hear it. She didn't want him to say it.

She wanted to keep hiding from it.

“Alphys,” Metta snapped, and she held up her hands, shaking her head. “No, we need to talk about this, now!”

‘How do you know that name?!' she snapped back, her fingers shaking, like stutters in her speech. ‘Why did you never tell me you knew her, knew _what_ she was?!'

Metta went still, his eyes widening.

She had the right to know that.

She had the right to understand his interest in her, once he saw her - and was able to eventually recognise her.

By then, it had been months, because his memory was so long, and...

“I knew Alpha,” he blurted out. “I helped her build the tunnels located here.”

Alphys frowned, her eyes glinting in a way he knew she didn't know they could, and it made him wish he knew how to shiver.

“That is all,” he said truthfully. “Of course she asked me to spy. She offered... what I asked of you.”

Alphys felt pain, then, both physical and mental. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't know that the claws of one hand had sunk into her chest, the second she understood that he was being honest.

“She didn't know how,” he said. “So I helped with Waterfall, in exchange for privacy, for my family. She agreed.”

Alphys sniffled.

“Yes. That's why he's never come searching here, despite being told that there are ghosts. It's another reason why he condemned Waterfall.”

Alphys closed her eyes, lowering her head and lying back down into her bed, burying her face into the mussed up blankets, pulling her other hand free hesitantly. She instead threw her hands up over her head, then went still.

“Alphys,” Metta said, his voice urgent. “I've told you everything, now. It's been mere days, and _everything_ has changed with you. Ever since you started this workweek, since that new Asset came in, you've been so strange. Almost... _angry_...”

His eyes narrowed. “Perhaps... _lovesick_?”

Alphys stood at a fork, then. Like the way her hands were limp and splayed apart, lying above her head, she, too, suddenly had two options set before her.

Tell Metta everything, and risk the NDA's curse - but get his help, especially for Undyne, even if it killed her.

Or continue to lie, and end their friendship here: with his final body, and no more answers were needed, anymore.

For her, it was easy, and it shocked her.

Mere days ago, she would have never even _thought_ to consider it.

But Alphys also knew something was up. Something _had_ changed, and it _was_ because of Undyne. And since she knew that Undyne _was_ the same person Metta was looking for, she knew that that also mattered, probably more than she could imagine.

 _There is no way that_ any _of this is coincidence, anymore,_ she thought.

And she was right.

She gritted her teeth, then pushed herself up, crossing her legs and propping herself up on her pillows against the wall (keeping one hidden, still). Metta followed her, and when she didn't protest, he stayed close. She curled up under her blanket as much as she could, before holding her hands out, then up.

Her fingers shook. Her heart raced so fast it hurt.

But she kept breathing.

_Risk it._

So she did.

She told him everything, and it took a while.

She traced it all out, her arms growing heavy and sore, but she didn't stop.

She made sure he knew every detail – save the most personal, intimate ones – just in case she was killed after she finished.

Metta floated there in stunned silence, and halfway through – when she explained her flank scars – he began to weep, shocked that someone he'd known at a younger age had lost her way so quickly.

 _Or perhaps she didn't let you see it, because we were using each other,_ he corrected darkly, aware of the irony and deeply loathing it.

But that was when he stopped her for a moment the only time he would.

“Go back,” he begged, shaking his head. “Alphys, what happened? What was the failed experiment? You left it out, completely. You've... never told me what _really_ happened, save that she hurt you for failing.”

‘I've never told anyone, Metta,' she answered. She was crying, too, but he'd made tea, and she sipped it every so often. ‘I only see it in my nightmares.'

“I think I need to know, now.”

Alphys swallowed hard, her eyes closing for a moment. Her throat almost strangled her with tears, but when she stopped holding it in, she sobbed, and it helped.

She nodded, and told him what happened on her eighteenth birthday.

* * *

From the very start of the day, she knew something strange was happening.

Because for the first time in her entire life, her mother was offering to spend some free time with her, today – on her birthday.

Granted, she'd woken her up rather early, but it was still surprising.

Even that late, Alphys was still trying to please her, to earn her love, despite knowing that she was doomed to fail, every time.

 _This_ disarmed her, and made her heart suddenly blossom with hope.

“Have a shower, then come meet me in the True Lab,” Alpha said. She didn't smile, but her face was relaxed and calm. “My work partner might be around at first, but once he's done his work, we'll do something together, just the two of us.”

Alphys stared at her. “F-for real?” she stammered, trying to hide her shaking.

Alpha sighed, then nodded. “Yes. I'm aware of how important _this_ birthday is, Alphys, even if you are not. Of course I want to spend time with you, today.”

The worst part, the saddest part, was that she _was_ being honest, in her own way. For her, and her partner, this _was_ an important day, and if it worked, there was no way that Alpha would ever let Alphys leave her side.

“Yes, I would l-like that,” Alphys quickly agreed, scrambling to her feet, and Alpha nodded again.

“Great. We'll see you soon, okay? There's much to do."

Alphys agreed excitedly, and Alpha turned and left.

Once she was certain she was alone, Alphys burst into tears, her heart racing with that yearning.

 _Maybe this is a sign that things will change, for the good!_ she thought, even as she made her way down the deepest tunnel, to the True Lab. She'd never been into it, before, but knew the way. She'd had to run errands for them both, before, even if she'd still never seen her mother's partner – or even know his name.

When she got there, she saw no signs of anyone else but herself and, when she turned a corner, her mother. She smiled, as her mother was waiting for her calmly upon one of the patient beds, her eyes going over a sheaf of papers. She had tucked them away once Alphys was close enough, and got to her feet.

Alphys tried to hug her, but her mother moved away, making it look like an accident.

 _Okay_ , Alphys thought, _Too soon for that, but still, this has to be good, right?_

It was heartbreaking.

“So... What was on your mind, Mother?” she asked.

Alpha gestured to her, and Alphys sat down where her mother had been, looking up at her eagerly.

Alpha looked away and said, “Today we're going to try some things, Alphys.”

Alphys blinked, confused.

“You know that I’ve been working on soul research, and that special component that humans have, that monsters sometimes have, too, right?”

Alphys nodded. She knew some of it, but was never allowed to know more than the bare minimum - what she was just told.

“Well,” her mother continued, turning away and folding her hands behind her back, beginning to slowly pace in front of her. “You're old enough, now, and officially an adult; you're old enough to make your own decisions. We won't do anything without your consent, Alphys, because now, you are on the same level as myself and my partner. You _can_ say no.”

Alphys never forgot those words, because she remembered how _perfect_ they were, how absolutely stunning they were in their sinister perfection, when it came to covering the hides of the careless, or clueless. In those words alone, words she made sure were audio-recorded, her mother had absolved herself of _any_ wrong-doing, so long as Alphys said yes.

And because Alphys was naive, and desperate to please her mother, wanting to love her and be loved, she said yes. She nodded, had begun to long before her mother had finished.

“Yes,” she added quickly, once it looked like her mother was about to be short with her. “Yes, I agree. I want to help. You have my consent.”

Alpha smiled. It was thin and unhappy, and her eyes lowered to the ground. She nodded, one hand reaching into her coat pocket and touching something that clicked, before she stopped before Alphys and sighed.

Alphys looked up, her tail twitching from how hard she tried to keep it still, to hide her excitement. She was still nodding when her mother said, her other hand in her other pocket, now, “Give me your hand?”

Alphys blinked, then took the hand she was offered, feeling shock go through her, from emotion, alone, at first. Her mother _hated_ touching or being touched, so to be touched by her, like this, and as her own idea, made Alphys almost breathless with hope.

If she'd asthma, she would had probably passed out. Since she didn't, yet, she could only tremble, trying not to look as desperate as she felt.

Later, she knew she failed. She would always remember the way her mother had looked at her when their hands had touched, and it made her shiver each time she remembered.

 _Hunger_.

She pulled Alphys's arm to her, her other hand pulling free of her pocket – and holding a syringe.

“Wait--,” Alphys suddenly blurted out, the sight of the syringe – and what it held – filling her with dread.

It didn't look real, what was in that tube. It looked unreal, impossible, beyond magic of any kind...

“Mother, what are you--?!” she cried, just as Alpha stabbed the inside of Alphys's arm with the needle.

Alphys shrieked, panic making her basic, and she started fighting her mother, trying to get free as she felt that plunger get pushed down, and that glowing, sublime nonsense began to disappear beneath her skin. But her mother was strong, and even as the syringe was thrown away, empty, Alphys still tried to get away, her hopes once more murdered by her own mother.

Alpha grabbed her daughter's upper arms and held them down, pinning Alphys to that bed, just as she felt a strange, painful burning sensation, one starting right where that needle had landed, and it made her feel feverish, as if consumed by heatstroke. She groaned, the feeling making her weak, and she stopped fighting, even though she still tried, those flames scorching their way up her arm...

…and, as Alpha kept her held down onto the bed; as Alphys began to feel true pain; as if she were having a heart attack...

Alphys screamed, her voice already sounding shrill and thin, and she felt her entire body break into a sweat, every part of her seizing up and making her sob, the pain felt _everywhere_ , spreading through her body from within her blood.

When she realised she was feeling less and less, save agony and panic, it was too late to do anything about it. She knew she'd remained paralysed with fear for too long, the shock of the attack too much for her to handle, and she didn't know what to do.

She didn't know if there was anything she _could_ do.

She couldn't escape it.

She couldn't make it stop.

She could only beg.

 _“Please...!”_ she screamed, without knowing it. These would be the very last words she ever spoke. “Mommy, please _help me! Please, it hurts!_ Help me! _Help me--!! Mommy--!! Why--?!”_

Her voice gave out, because that poison had finally reached her heart.

Her eyes widened, going blind, before she realised that she couldn't breathe, even when she tried. Her chest began to burn, her heart hammering from within her ribcage, but she still couldn't breathe...

She heard shouting, from someone else, but all of it was muffled, and too far away to care about.

She didn't know who made those sounds.

She didn't care.

Everything went to nothing - she knew nothing - for quite some time.

That time was merciful.

It _was_ too much for her, and kept her knocked out, even when, she assumed, they probably tried to fix it.

It was when she woke up, out of nowhere and without knowing why, that Alphys understood that she was now in hell, and there was no going back.

Her body hurt all over, but her sides... They hurt the _most_. She tried to touch, to see, but realised she didn't have to, because she could  _feel_ what had just happened.

It was why she'd woken up in the first place.

* * *

Alphys had always thought that it was her mother's claws that had forced her awake.

But this time, with a strange clarity that she'd never possessed, before, she found herself remembering _more_...

* * *

_I can't breathe!_

_That_ had been her first thought.

She woke up, because she was suffocating, and her body was panicking.

She could feel strange, almost unconscious movement from both of her sides, like a shiver along her skin, one that felt upon and beneath it, but no matter how hard they fluttered, she still wasn't able to breathe.

She suddenly no longer knew _how_.

It was only when she suddenly felt a mask go over her snout that she realised that she _could_ breathe, again, if with some... difficulty, like she had a sinus infection...

One that hurt like stab wounds to her lungs and ribs...

She tried to stop panicking, then, as she knew that to move when feeling this much pain was never a good plan.

And for a moment or two, she was able to breathe as she needed, to catch the breath she'd somehow lost, thanks to that oxygen mask. She took full advantage of it, and focused on it; even when she heard murmuring, she didn't try to speak.

Alphys had no idea what was happening, because it was then that they drugged her oxygen, and she went back under.

* * *

Alphys was having trouble signing by now, confused by her jumbled memories, but Metta encouraged her, and after some false starts, she tried again, and managed it.

* * *

The second time she woke up was when she felt her mother's claws bite into her sides, heard her screaming wordlessly at Alphys, scratching her over and over until _Alphys_ started to scream, and Alpha's hands became caked with blood, like wet gloves...

She remembered feeling her mother being pulled away, once, then twice, then a final time, before she heard the sound of something sharp hitting flesh, then more weight fall down to the ground.

Alphys tried to call for help, certain they thought she was dead.

She wasn't.

And she didn't want to be.

She choked, trying to control her breathing, to find words, but found it was getting harder and harder the longer she was left bleeding.

She felt something thick and hot suddenly gush up from her belly, and blood flooded her mouth, making her gag and almost drown, barely managing to move her head in time before she did, spitting it out as best as she could.

By the time either adult discovered what had happened, Alphys was already dying, and they knew what it meant.

She'd failed.

* * *

‘I still don't know _how_ I failed,' Alphys admitted, her hands readable despite her sobs. ‘I'll never know, now. But that's when everything changed for me. At least, back then.'

Before he could try to ask anything, she quickly filled in any blanks he didn't know about, save the most intimate or personal stuff (he now knew she felt she was in a relationship with Undyne, but not how or why, or if Undyne felt the same), and by the time she was done, she let her hands fall and her body slump down, exhausted and sore.

It was well into morning, by now, and Alphys needed to sleep, especially since she planned on working the next shift.

She tried to sign it, but he said, “Enough.”

‘No, wait,' she protested, as she heard him jump back into his body, to take hold of her and lie her down, for her to sleep. ‘Wait, please. Don't... don't leave... _don't leave_...'

“I wasn't going to,” he confessed, and she smiled weakly. “I was going to try on my new suit.”

‘It folds in,' was all she said about that.

“I'll figure it out.”

He tucked her in, taking her glasses off, setting her alarm, and setting water beside her, taking her apron off, too. He noticed the broken puffer, and pocketed it, before he hung the apron up.

When he turned back, she was asleep, though her hands still held the shape of the word she tried to say to him, before she passed out.

'Thank...'

He waited for a moment, watching over her and making sure she was safe to leave alone. Even if it seemed like she'd forgotten, he had not, and he was nervous about the NDA spell.

Only now, he began doubting the basis of his fears.

But save her exhaustion from the assorted hells of the night, she looked okay.

Unharmed.

And that was when he realised that she still hadn't been able to answer his question, about how she was suddenly a Boss Monster – or able to do a good impression of the spell that only Boss Monsters knew.

Because she was. There was no doubting it. He recognised her soul, and this was the first time he'd ever done so. 

_Alphys is a Boss Monster...?!_

But then, he looked at it differently, and decided that _she_ probably didn't know, either, and had confessed everything else in order to see if _he_ knew, if he understood it any better than she could, because he was much older, and had seen so much more...

 _No,_ he sighed. _I've_ never _seen this, before._ Ever.

But he would stay.

Even if she'd said otherwise, he would have given her space, but still remained close by.

He needed the time to think, anyway, everything she'd told him swirling around his mind like a vortex, and it made him feel dizzy. He rolled around the lower floors, looking for the upgrade, though he missed it three times, too preoccupied by his thoughts to even notice.

Even then, he only noticed because he crashed into it, from the surprise of a sudden baffling understanding that _Undyne_ would be safe so long as _Alphys_ remained safe, and even if they didn't know why (she'd lied about their shared orgasm, citing it as a shared dream of hand-fasting, explaining why doing so would make it become real - not realising that she was still being honest, anyway).

At least now, they knew _way_ more than they did before the week began.

That was for certain.

He bumped into the upgrade, shaking awake and touching it, feeling the magicked metals respond specifically to him. He placed both hands upon it, and it opened up. He looked in nervously, shakily – and _stared_ , for almost a half-hour, at what he found. He couldn't look away, afraid that it would disappear if he did.

But the longer he stared, the longer it remained in place, and became real.

She'd done it.

It was _perfect_.

He now had his perfect body.

He thought it was vanity that made him giddy, and it was in part. 

But later, he wondered if it was _foresight_ , from lifetimes ago, hitting him too early for him to understand, because all he could see was how... _human_... it would make him look, but in a way that made him still look like something other than monster, too.

He had underestimated her, after all.

That, above all else, shamed him the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes.


	33. Hasty Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This should be a surprise to no one by now, but just in case, here it is.

Undyne had heard everything. She sat on the platform, her eye wide and stuck on the part of the dome that was right in front of where the radio was now plugged in, right where she could hear it, best. By the end, once she heard that human's plea, she was weeping, again, feeling her vision almost grow too bright, _blinding_...

She dropped back into the water, making sure to hide under the platform, so that the lights would shine less. To her surprise, however, once she heard the bell of the shift-change, the lights in the hanger shut off, and she was plunged into darkness.

 _He really does want me to sleep during the day,_ she finally was able to accept.

And she was already dozing off, despite her shaking, the combination of the soothing embrace of the water and the gentle heartbeat of the music, helping her drift off. She was still crying, her mind flooded with fears, but somehow, she still fell asleep.

A few hours later, there was a muffled thud, and her eye slowly fluttered open, looking up toward the sound, before she made out a small draw-string bag.

It had the Deltarune logo on it.

She swam over to it, her body slow and sluggish, but the closer she got, the more she felt a feeling that woke her up completely.

_I'm so hungry..._

It was then that she understood that she was smelling food, through the water, and her hands grabbed the bag and pulled it to her, before she looked up, clutching the bag of – obvious this close – food to her chest.

Nobody was hovering over the pool.

She pushed herself away, using the floor of the shallow end again as a springboard, and by the time her momentum slowed, she was almost exactly where she'd begun. She settled upon the floor, her fingers shakily undoing the ties, then pried it open, reaching inside at once.

Smell rushed up to greet her, before she even touched it, and she felt her entire body relax, her eyes filling with tears. She grabbed a handful of – she couldn't believe it – shucked snails, their slippery, chewy bodies coated in something greasy and delicious, and even the water was unable to dilute the flavour, even when she reached the bottom of the waterproof bag, eating so fast that she thought seconds had passed, not minutes.

When she realised she was done, she also felt stupid: she hadn't even hesitated, hadn't bothered to examine the food, despite knowing that drugging her with it was also a favourite torture method of Gaster's.

Maybe it was because she really did believe him when he claimed she'd have her full week.

Maybe because it was still daytime.

Maybe it was from general appreciation for delicious food.

Maybe.

But she trusted him – at least about this. His vindictive sadism was so obvious that she knew he had no reason to be dishonest, because he made sure that his true self was seen from the start.

 _Well_ , she sighed. _Except with humans. They can't see it._

She tried to get back on that track, but that was when the bag floated up empty, bobbing with the waves like a deflated buoy, and when _that_ happened, it was shortly followed by a tapping sound, one that came from the side of the pool.

She hesitated, though. Food was one thing, but she didn't want to come up and make it easy for whoever it was to ambush her – if they were there for that, of course. She'd much rather ambush, herself.

But then she remembered that sans had been regulated as her babysitter as well as nurse, and though she didn't want to talk to him, she knew doing so would make him leave sooner. Plus, she also knew that she did still need medical attention, even if sans was a garbage nurse. She wanted to get healthy, again, so that she would be able to see Alphys, again...

 _With her_ , she decided, swimming back over. _I want to be with her, and take her away from here. And I can't do that if I’m not at my best._

She hoped Alphys had heard her, and was going to visit her tonight.

 _Maybe, if we can find a way to get rid of Toriel, we could finally finish what we started – both in dream_ and _reality..._

She popped up, and was happy when he jumped back, throwing his file up and making quick snow of his work. He rushed around, trying to grab them all, but all she did was sit at the edge and watch, resting upon it comfortably. Even when a few sheets landed in the pool, she ignored them.

All she did was watch, and smile.

“undyne, you're a dick,” sans snarled breathlessly.

“How would _you_ know?” Undyne replied. “How would you know what a dick even _looks_ like?”

He stopped and seethed at her, then, and it felt wonderful to her. She grinned, all teeth, and he rolled his eyes and went back to it, all while she cackled.

He knew why she did it, which was why he didn't fight it too much. He agreed with her, really, especially when it came to herself, and would have done the same – or worse – if their roles were reversed.

But then, she heard him mutter, “how the fuck would _you_ know, either?!”

Undyne had to admit: that _was_ funny. Not only had she not known that _he_ knew, but such a thing wasn't exactly acceptable anywhere else but Underground (hence why humans once lived here with monsters, and monsters with them above).

But then again, he'd seen how she behaved with Alphys – and Alphys, with Undyne.

“ _Alphy_ might know,” she realised, unaware that she was no longer joking – but not for long. “Does she...? Have you ever seen her with... anyone?”

“no, of _course_ not! look at her, look at how she _looks_ ,” he answered, his face averted as he fussed with a bunch of things on the desk. “she doesn't know what _anything_ looks like, because why would _anyone_ —what are you--?”

Suddenly, he realised that he was being held at spearpoint, the tip of it poking into the back of his skull, stinging it.

Behind him, Undyne stood trembling, both from effort and anger, and even as she dripped water all over the floor, neither noticed.

Not like this.

 _“What did you just fucking say to me?”_ she snarled.

But sans hadn’t expected that at all. He quickly opened his hands and held them up, noticing that he shook, too.

“You think giving me a bunch of shucked snails is enough to make me forgive you for the absolute _horseshit_ you have put me – _and_ her – through?!”

He said nothing.

“And now you think you can add _insulting_ Alphy--?”

“alphy _s. ss_.”

Undyne blinked. “Huh?”

“it's with an _s_ , undyne.”

“No,” was her answer. “How the fuck would _you_ know anything about someone like _her_? Someone pure and kind, but also wickedly funny and blindingly smart? Someone strong and badass, but too sweet and caring to hurt a flea...?”

 _Fuck_ , she thought, quickly reaching up to brush the tears from her eyes, before they impeded her vision and make her stab him by accident – tempting, but not a wise idea.

sans honestly had no idea how to answer, especially when he heard her clearing her clogged-up throat. He hadn't expected her to react so violently, so _viscerally_ , like he was attacking _her_ and not his sister.

Except Undyne didn't know that part.

Not for sure.

Would her feelings change, if she knew that Alphys was his sister?

“sans,” she added, pressing the tip closer.

He swallowed – however that worked. “undyne.”

“How do you know?”

“go back into the pool.”

Suddenly, he was on his back, and all he could see were stars of pain. He barely even had time to focus on it before he found the spear at his throat.

“You don't get to boss me around,” she snapped.

She was losing it, she knew; her control, her temper, her _mind_. But she couldn't help it. So much had changed with so little time, and the more control she lost, the worse she felt.

A silence spread between them, one sans spent trying get his eyes to focus, and eventually, she pulled away, and the spear vanished with a flash. She walked back to the pool, then jumped back in, but she stayed in the shallow end, her eye dark and glued to him.

When he sat up, she barely reacted, instead simply waiting patiently. She knew how people with the last name _Gaster_ worked. She knew she had to give – or let him take – before she could get anything in return.

But she also wasn't going to let up on this.

He _knew_ what Alphys was to her.

He _saw_ it.

His father had, too, even if he said nothing about it.

She needed to know as much about Alphys as possible, because she'd decided: she wasn't leaving this place without Alphys, no matter what it took, or what it meant to get there.

_If it means berating this idiot for information, the kind I need to escape at all, then fuck it!_

_I'll beat the info from Gaster if I have to..._

“no, you're right, undyne,” sans said suddenly, getting her hopeful attention. “i can't boss you around. but you know who bosses _me_ around? fucking _gaster_. if i don't do this shit, _he_ will. do you want _him_ to be here, instead, undyne?”

Undyne closed her eye, lowering her forehead to her arms. The idea of _that_ made her stomach curdle, and she actually nearly threw up. The idea of Gaster having full access to her body was bad enough. The idea of it happening while she was this sick and compromised was a _nightmare_.

sans heard her answer within that silence, and nodded, looking grimly satisfied. He slowly got to his feet, grumbling a little as he did, but she said nothing.

She didn't watch him. She kept her face hidden.

Another curiosity. “undyne?” he called. “we're not done.”

She couldn't answer, yet, as she was still crying, her tears like a steady flow from a faucet. She held a hand up, waving it in a “yes, and?” kind of way, before letting it drop and hang loosely over the side – a peace-offering. She hadn't meant to offer it, but the thought of Alphys being seen the way sans saw her broke her heart, and she had no fight left.

Well... _almost_...

sans saw her hand for what it was, so he picked up the assessment case and dragged it over, before opening it and starting to pull out various instruments, one at a time, and lying them out in front of him, in the order he needed them to be to make it go smoothly.

The second he had everything sorted, Undyne leaned over a bit more, reached down, and swept every single piece off of the ledge of the pool and to the concrete floor.

Hearing them clatter and clang, alongside sans's cursing and snarling, was rather satisfying, indeed, and she felt her tears begin to slow down, just a little.

_“bitch.”_

Even _that_ helped soothe her, and she felt her shoulders lower from her ears, her heart slowing down. She reached up and rubbed her eyes one at a time, still keeping her other hand out, and her tears were easier to blink back, now.

She felt sans take hold of her hand, and she kept it relaxed and limp. He didn't move it, forcing her to raise her head, and she found him glaring at her, staying still lest he spook her.

“are you gonna behave, now?” he demanded. “are you done being a dick?”

Undyne chuckled weakly, but she also nodded. “Yep. Can't be what I don't know.”

That got her an eyeroll, but she grinned in return, and he sighed. He started the tests, and when he found her completely complacent, he took advantage of it, warily - but also quickly.

Undyne rested her cheek against the rim of the pool and closed her eye, again, ignoring the sensations and instead focusing on what she wanted to do when Alphys got here, and how they could find a way to be completely alone.

But sans ruined it. “undyne, what do you know about alphys?”

Undyne sighed, keeping her eye closed and her cheek resting. “Fuck you,” she answered, her voice calm. “I don't have to tell you _anything_. How Alphy and I--,”

“alphys.”

“How Alphy and I spend our time together is _our_ business and not yours – _or_ your father's.”

Undyne noticed a change in his actions, then, noting that he was being rough with her, mean, but still found no reason to alter her behaviour. She had so little power, already; if it meant making the fearless Leader upset, that was a bonus. She did wonder if he'd expected a fight from her, but she didn't. She didn't make it easy, but she still cooperated.

He stayed silent through it, save for short, one-worded commands, his mind racing. He hadn’t been at all prepared for Undyne's defensive attitude, and would have never expected her to actually get out of the pool to threaten him.

And that was because she never would have, back when she was still a kid – and he was barely an adult. Something had happened between her escape and recapture, and it was becoming more and more obvious what it was – and why.

And who was to blame.

He looked at Undyne, then – actually looked at her face, her expression, alongside her body language, and found that she was saying more than he knew.

Or wanted.

He didn't know what it meant to be in love. He'd never experienced it, and really didn't have an interest in pursuing it for himself. But he recognised the power of such an emotion – or experience, really – and knew that it made people _stupid_.

That was what he'd always assumed, anyway.

Looking at Undyne the way he was, now, however, made him wonder if he was actually making a huge mistake with that assessment.

She didn't look at all like a fool. In fact, she looked... _determined_.

Suddenly, he felt cold. His eyes went to Undyne's, making sure they focused on each other's gaze, uneven or not, but he felt nothing. That didn’t really mean anything – sans was not a Boss Monster – but he couldn’t look away, still looking for reasons even he didn't know.

It annoyed her, but she didn't do a thing to stop it, because when it happened, she saw sans's expression, and it confused her. He looked almost _conflicted_ , as if he knew he had to do something, but was holding back, and not for his own amusement.

Rather, he was holding back, because he was afraid of how she would react to whatever it was that he clearly needed to say, now.

“Well?” she sighed after a moment, using her freed hand to nudge his shoulder, making him scowl. It finally broke the spell, and sans closed his eyes, rubbing his skull slowly. “Just fucking _say it,_ sans.”

“fine,” he snapped back, looking away. He closed the case of tools, dragged it back to the desk, then sat down at the desk, opening a fresh page in his notebook.

As he scribbled, he muttered, “Alphys and I don't really know each other, no. Not unless accidentally. _He_ would never let that happen.”

Undyne was stunned silent, as when he spoke, his voice had changed, to one that was much lower, more felt than heard, and it gave her a chill. She frowned, making sure she was entirely inside the parameters of the pool. She knew she should speak, but couldn't. That voice muted her.

“It's like with Papyrus,” he finally managed to get out, choking on the words several times before he managed. “The Leader hates it when I spend too much time with him. Only, he knows there's no reason for me to seek her out; I got what I wanted when I directed her here: she was hired by him, and thus under his watch and care, and I could see her, too, if every once and a while."

Undyne, through this, felt that chill spread throughout her entire body, one that was not a response to his voice. No, this chill was because _she_ was beginning to understand, and as that understanding grew, so spread that chill.

“I forced him to care,” he muttered, unaware that he was writing out what he was saying. “Because he knew he was to blame for it, for _all_ of it – even Papyrus, his – _their_ – last ditch-effort, before _she_ tossed herself into the Core.”

Undyne was a ball by then, her head in her hands and her chin rested upon her knees, shaking so hard that it even affected the water.

She wanted him to stop.

She wanted him to keep going.

She wanted to stay stupid.

She wanted to know the truth…

“Do you understand what I’m saying to you, Undyne?” he added.

Sans then raised his head, and his eyes were empty, black pits of nothing, and when Undyne saw, she started to cry, from terror and pain. She shook her head, because she didn't want to understand.

“You _really_ need me to say it, don't you? You _really_ hate me that much?”

 _“No!”_ she cried out, her voice breaking. She didn't know what she was saying no to – his questions, his answers – but she meant it. She needed him to stop talking, while needing him to finish it all.

“Well, either way, _you win._ I'll say it, if it means you'll finally get it, and let me fucking help you, and you will help me!.”

Undyne jolted, sitting up and turning back to him, stunned. “What?” she squeaked out. “You want to help me, now...?”

“I want to help _us_ ,” he corrected, shutting the notebook and slapping his hand upon it. “I can't help myself or my brother without helping... without helping my... my _sister_ , too...”

Undyne went still, her entire world flooding with white noise.

Except when he spoke again, she still heard it.

“and since she loves you, that means you're coming with us.” he finished, his eyes coming back to life, just a touch. The change in voice did help her, but not by much. “but we need to help each other, undyne.”

She sat there, her eye empty and blind, shaking all over – including her head.

He blinked, calling for her, again, but instead of even looking at him, she instead turned away – and vanished beneath the waters.

_“Does she have a last name?”_

_Yes._

_Gaster._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was very ill recently. Get ready.


	34. Sins of the Father

_No, no, no..._

It was all Undyne could think of, her hands getting tangled in her hair, the word floating above her like the last bubbles of air upon her skin, letting herself drop to the floor. She didn't hear anything hit the side of the pool, so she wasn't sure if sans remained.

She didn't really care, honestly, at this point.

_How is it possible...?_

Granted, she knew that if she surfaced, it was possible that sans would tell her exactly how possible it was – which was why, she imagined, she remained where she was, now.

She didn't want to think about it.

She didn't want to imagine anything of _his_ tainting anything to do with _her_.

She didn't want this to _change anything._

But she knew it did.

She hated it.

She hated being forced to concede that something good could come from Gaster – that there was some goodness within him, after all – but now, she had to. She knew sans was telling the truth, because of the _way_ he said it, in the voice that he used. She knew it was his way of telling her that he was being honest.

And for once, she actually believed him. She didn't want to, and hated that it had to be this, but she still did.

The more she thought on it, however, the less... painful... it became. She pushed the thoughts from her mind, replacing them with recent memory, and knew that Alphys was sincere.

One cannot connect a soul to another's without sincerity, and there was no question that that was what happened, both during the dream – and _after_...

Undyne felt her cheeks burn, and she covered them with her cool palms, closing her eye. She shivered, even though the water was soothing and warm, and kept focusing back on those newer memories, of their hands meeting blindly but with confidence, of their failed kiss, of Alphys's crude joke...

Her heart began to slow down, then warm up, before slowly returning to bloom, her breaths shaky and uneven – and _happy_.

 _Alphys is not him_ , she reminded herself. _And there's no way she knows that she's his. I know there's nothing duplicitous going on with her._

_But... what does it mean, to be a child of Leader W. D. Gaster?_

If one went by sans, a failed test, himself, followed by eternal life bound in servitude to the parent who'd failed him, knowing there was no other future for him. With Papyrus, it was one of sheltered youth, followed by shelved use; he was clearly prepping Papyrus, just in case he was needed to test on, if Undyne failed again.

Undyne's eye snapped open, her stomach clenching, and she covered her mouth.

 _No_ , she begged.

_Fifteen years ago, I was imprisoned here._

_I was experimented on._

_I had stuff stolen from me, stuff given to another..._

But sans once admitted that she wasn't the first, that _he'd_ once been where she was, too – only to be on the other side, a failure.

 _No!_  she screamed inside her head, shutting her eyes again. _Shut up! You don't even know, you don't even have a clue!_

_You have to ask her! You can't just assume this shit!_

_Who was the person that died?_

_Who was the person that was experimented on?_

_Were they the same person?_

_Or have I been missing an obvious clue, one I should have realised the_ second _I heard her sing...?_

“Stop it,” she croaked out, her nails digging into her scalp. “Shut up! _Shut up! Fuck--!”_

Her voice broke, and she burst into tears, not even trying to hold back.

It was too much, and she couldn't deal with it all at once.

She was barely even accustomed to being back here, let alone ready to pick up where she left it all off - Gaster's clear plan.

_But I never intended on finishing it! I never intended on coming back here!_

_Why...?_

She didn't know.

And because she didn't know, she cried herself back to sleep, barely aware that she'd even done so, but glad she had.

She didn't wake up until midnight.

A blessing.

* * *

The second Alphys opened her eyes, she knew.

Even though it was blurry from a lack of glasses, even though it was dark from most of the lights being off, even though she still felt like she needed hours more for sleep...

…she knew who it was who woke her, despite never seeing him this way, before.

Mettaton.

She smiled up at him, tearing up a little. Her joy helped push away those strange feelings she felt when their eyes met. Because now, though he was still within a metal body, he most certainly had eyes.

He also had a face, one he'd carefully constructed with her, telling her every single detail he wanted upon it. It was of an effeminate man, almost human-like in looks, save for the obvious accents that marked him as “other”: the metallic body, the long, agile arms, the long legs and tall boots, the way his would could be seen in a clear panel, one that showed who he was – but also protected his soul for that very reason.

And because it was perfect, the face moved with his emotions, as if it would in his ghost form. It took no effort to move around in it, anymore, when before, it was clear that it took effort to possess the body she'd started him with.

He'd merged with it, the second he saw himself in a mirror – and finally saw his true self, at last, one that could have never been realised without her help, her patience and dedication, her eagerness to make him happy...

She reached up and touched his ridged cheek, and he smiled, closing his eyes. He reached up and held it in place, and though the arms were the same, he still had merged with them, and they moved like they would for someone alive.

He truly was Mettaton, now.

“I love it,” he whispered, the voicebox so much better. That had taken work, too, hours of tinkering with the schematics in order to make a simulation of the “right” voice. It was deeper than his ghost voice, more expressive than his robot voice, and it made her smiled happily.

Alphys nodded, then lowered her hand back to her eye, rubbing one, then the other, before pushing herself up. She stretched, yawning, not noticing that Mettaton was watching her, and was struggling not to let his thoughts show on his face. Because he possessed it with his soul – and had merged with it – it worked like a human body, one that took time to master. He didn't know how to police his facial expressions because he'd never needed to, not for quite some time. The inner workings of this body were so intricate and detailed that it would follow his thoughts and feelings to the tiniest degree.

Alphys then spoke, her hands slow and her face tired, her eyes closed. ‘What time is it? Why did you wake me?'

“It's only an hour before you would usually wake up, darling."

She blinked, surprised. ‘It is? I slept for that long?'

He nodded, and she blushed; that explained her hunger. “But now we know why,” he added.

Alphys's hands dropped, and she looked up at him with a frown, her eyes dark and sad. She nodded.

“It didn't hurt you,” he observed, sitting down beside her, his heavy body making the bed creep with protest.

She went pink, but didn't protest, and he took one of her hands for a moment, happy to actually feel it, in a way he never could before.

“It must be some kind of immunity for Boss Monsters," he added.

Alphys reddened and pulled her hand away. ‘Stop it,' she begged, biting down on her bottom lip. ‘Please stop saying that. It's... it's not true!’

“Oh, it's true,” he pointed out, trying to be gentle instead of impatient. “Somehow, when you connected to Undyne, it unlocked something within you. Hell, the same might've happened with Undyne.”

Alphys frowned. ‘When I looked into her eye, I felt... _something_ , yes. But not the same way I did with Toriel.'

She was going to add Papyrus, but didn't; she felt like it wasn't her business to tell.

He nodded. “She saw it in you, too,” he remembered.

She sighed, then said, ‘Mother _was_ wrong, then. Or perhaps she didn't know? Maybe it hadn't... _activated_ , yet?'

“I don't know, darling,” he confessed. “I think at this point, you know more than I do.”

Alphys bit her lip. She knew _that_ wasn't exactly true. There was one question that he had yet to answer, but that was only because she had yet to ask. Now that she knew that he'd known her mother, she wondered what else he knew about her.

‘Was she married?' she asked.

He frowned. “I don't think so.”

He hesitated, not wanting to add more, but she looked up at him, waiting, and he knew he had to.

“You know she had a work partner?”

She nodded, her eyes darkening. ‘He wore a white coat,' she said. ‘He was tall, and strong enough to restrain a Boss Monster in berserker mode. He worked in the Core.'

Mettaton waited, but she didn't finish. Her eyes had narrowed, watching her hands sign, as if she were seeing what she wanted to say for the very first time, herself. In a way, she didn't know what she said, and needed to read her own words.

Not anymore.

Her hands started shaking, before they dropped into her lap, limp and empty. She paled, before she looked away and closed her eyes.

Mettaton braced himself.

But she didn't ask. She didn't even _conclude_. She just sat there, weeping softly with her face averted, the tears dropping onto her silent hands.

 _I'm so stupid_ , she now knew with deep dismay. _It was there, right in front of me, the entire time, and I refused to see it._

_How did I fail to connect those blindingly bright dots?_

_How did I fail to see it from day one?_

She shook her head, covering her face with her hands. 

Mettaton closed his eyes, his heart aching for her, but he didn't say a word. He touched her foot, the one closest to her, and when she didn't move it, he knew she wasn't okay.

“Alphys,” he murmured. “Talk to me, darling. It's safe, now.”

She shook her head again, but her breaths started to catch. She didn't notice it, however: instead, she kept shaking her head and crying, wishing she could reverse time, go back to before this started, return to her beautiful lunches and monotonous work and unremarkable life...

There was no going back.

Suddenly, she felt hands take hold of her own, hands abnormally strong, and even when she fought him, even as she was, now, he held her so easily that it made her angry. She slapped at his face, trying to push him away, but he would not let her go. Instead, he glared at her, and she kept trying to avoid the sting of it, the stomachache that came alongside meeting it...

“Alphys, I need you to slow down your breathing,” he said.

It surprised her, so much that she actually stopped for a moment, her eyes wide. She'd expected a reprimand, or some kind of insult, but she saw fear within his eyes, instead.

“Your puffer was broken,” he reminded her. “If you have an attack, you could risk going into a coma – at best.”

Alphys closed her eyes, just as they refilled with tears. He was right, and it angered her even more. She wanted the luxury of having a tantrum, of fighting against this fake kicking and screaming.

But she also remembered Undyne's voice, shouting for her to come back during her next shift, to come to the hangar and visit her, for real, this time...

 _No_ , she sighed. _I can't. Not until, at least, I get my puffer back. He's right._

She nodded, and with his help, she slowed down her breathing, and managed to calm herself before she had an attack. He smiled at her, the second she was stable, and she tried, but failed, to return it. Instead, her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head.

‘Please,' she signed, sniffling. ‘Please tell me I’m wrong.'

“I cannot, because you aren't,” he replied.

She sobbed silently, her eyes squeezing closed, but she nodded, gritting her teeth.

 _This is the way it is,_ she told herself. _When you reached out, when you touched her hand, both times, you chose this._

_Maybe you didn't really know it. But you still chose it._

_Oh, yeah?_ she snapped back. _Like I chose to be a failed experiment?!_

“Alphys.”

She flinched, using her blanket to clean her face.

“Let me help you get ready, tonight, and let me take you to work,” he suggested, keeping his voice steady. He was having trouble, as now, every time he touched her, he actually _felt_ it, like someone alive would.

 _She's wonderful to touch,_ he realised. _I don't want to stop._

‘Okay,' Alphys said. ‘Can you make my lunch? Well, re-make it,’ she corrected. ‘I have to reuse the snails I didn't eat. I'm going to reheat those for breakfast. Can you do both?'

She looked guilty asking him, but it wasn't that much of a favour. “You don't want me to get your medication for you?”

That made her pause. ‘We have time?'

“It's why I woke you up an hour early.”

She smiled weakly, but it was also incredibly sad. ‘Okay. Yes please. I'll pay you back. When you come back, then can you make the snails? I need to clean some clothes.'

“I’ll do the laundry and the food, and you do the showering, please. It's easier,” he replied.

She waved her hand in tired agreement, and he smiled. “Go have a shower, okay? Just wear your robe, and once you're back, I’ll have something clean for you.”

That honestly sounded like a dream to Alphys. The idea of doing anything beyond the absolute necessary made her sick, especially when she kept remembering that one horrible truth. When that happened, she wished she could claw it free from her brain. She even held her head, her claws digging into her scalp. But she always stopped short of breaking skin, not wanting to make anyone ask her questions she did not feel like answering...

Mettaton took her hands into his, helping her slide out of bed and to her feet. She wobbled, leaning against him and blushing a little; he was much taller, now, and she'd forgotten. It made her feel tiny and shy. But she also needed the support, and with his help, she started to get ready for yet another day.

It was barely into the new week, and already, Alphys was ready for the weekend.

* * *

Once in the shower, Alphys felt no stirring desire, no urgent need to stroke herself to brief but satisfying pleasure – at least, not by herself. Even when she tried to imagine herself with Undyne, in this very shower, it didn't work. It didn't feel the same.

She needed the real thing, now.

She needed Undyne.

For the first time in her life, she _wanted_ someone, enough to fight for them. She'd loved Undyne when all she knew her as was a voice and nothing more. She'd shared such deep secrets with her, all without really knowing if she was real, but still loving her, anyway.

Suddenly, she _wanted_ Undyne, to the point that it made her body and blood flash hot. She swallowed hard, making sure to cool the water off for a moment, and while it did help, it was not enough. She again tried to masturbate, but again failed. She still knew what she wanted -  _who_ she wanted - and all the details that went alongside it.

She'd promised to come back to Undyne, to return to her this very night, to teach her sign language, or to simply touch her face, or kiss her lips, at last.

That was what she wanted.

She hoped Undyne wanted it, too.

 _But what if she finds out?_ a small, scared voice demanded. _You're going to have to tell her at some point, if she doesn't figure it out for herself. She'll understand, especially if she knows that you had no clue - or choice._

So much of it still lacked sense, because there was so little detail. She needed to know more. She needed to understand what those experiments were, and what Undyne's part was in it, and _why_.

She needed to understand why they were not just connected, but in love, and was scared that this revelation would destroy everything, or reveal the love to be an experimental side-effect, and thus not real at all.

_How could she love me, if she knew that Gaster was my father...?_

Finally, she'd put words to it. She thought what she could not even sign, let alone accept without a fight.

But the more she put Gaster in the same place as her mother's partner, the more it began to make sense.

He'd been the Royal Scientist when the Dreemurrs was in power; Alphys knew her mother worked with that same scientist: she just refused to admit it to herself.

Or... she was protecting herself...

Either way, with him applied, a great deal was starting to make sense – including during parts of her life that she'd never been able to find reasons for, but there was one thing that stuck to her mind, something that still _refused_ to connect, even while knowing that it made it no less true. She kept trying to open that door, but it remained locked to her, and every key she tried to use would crumble...

Until she thought, _If I tell her, I’ll lose her._

And something within herself answered with, _You most certainly will not lose her._

_She needs to know. And so do you._

She was still ruminating over these thoughts when she finished her shower, jumping out and reaching for her towel. She began to wrap it around herself, but something within her told her to stop, and go to the mirror. She did, bemused, and the second she did, her eyes went right to her sides, first the left, then the right. They went over each mark, seeing that, even after all this time, hot water still made those scars flare red.

Except... something was off.

She moved closer, tossing the towel over her shoulders and moving closer to the mirror, making sure to keep one side as close to the surface as possible. She put her glasses on and looked, and saw that there were actually... _differences_... in the reddish colouring of the scars. The middle two, the ones sandwiched between the jagged lawmaker lines, looked... _really_ red, all of a sudden.

It _wasn't_ scar tissue reacting to hot water; she knew that. The colours were different. The two outer and middle lines were lighter than the two between, more pink than scarlet – and she could see the middle ones were scarlet.

It was a _familiar_ colour, and it confused her. Where had she seen it before, in a way that makes it seem familiar?

She didn't know. She didn't understand why her mother added more injury to insult – _literally_. She didn't understand why this was happening, at all.

She dressed, hiding them under her robe, for now, and it felt strange; the scarlet, abnormally straight lines seemed to almost chafe beneath her soft flannel robe, in a way that had never happened, before. She sighed, pushing it away, knowing that to dwell on these changes would keep her far behind at all times.

She would figure it out on her way forward. If she had time later, she would circle back. But now, she had a goal in mind. She no longer cared about her job. She no longer cared about being invisible.

She clearly had _never_ been invisible, if Gaster had hired her while knowing she was his child.

 _Had_ he _sent the note? It didn't seem like him..._

Again, she pushed it away.

 _I'll ask Undyne_ , she decided. _Because I’m going to see her. I'm going to talk to her._

_And I’m going to find a way to break us both out of this prison._

_Somehow..._

* * *

When Alphys returned to the Lab, she saw that Mettaton had come back, as there was a small pharmacy bag on the counter of the security monitor's console. She took it with a smile, then went up the stairs, the smells of freshly dried laundry and reheated snails fighting for dominance.

It was a nice smell.

When Mettaton saw her, he smiled, just finishing up with the fresh batch as well as the old. He served the old first, and Alphys dove into them, starving. The soup felt like centuries ago, and with each mouthful, she felt better and better. A little stale and chewy, perhaps, but no less edible.

‘Thank you,' she said between mouthfuls, truly grateful.

He could tell, and he touched that hand briefly, as if to silence it. “Anytime, Alphys. Please. I want to help. I owe you so much--,”

Her hands went up sharply, her face clouding over, but he covered them both.

“I do,” he insisted. “And it's my pleasure to help you.”

She blushed, looking away shyly, before she nodded, and he let her hands go.

There was a silence between them, as he cooked and she ate, but once both were done, Alphys kicked him out to get dressed.

When he left, she checked her sides, again, and found that those same lines were _definitely_ brighter, and when she touched them, they felt almost hot, as if feverish beneath her skin.

But the other lines, the scars from her mother, looked the same as ever. If anything, they looked almost better, now that her skin had cooled off.

She still didn't get it. Her body was screaming at her, asking her to please fix what was wrong, but she didn't know what it was that was wrong. She ignored it, instead, too.

When she was dressed and ready to go, she met him downstairs, where he held onto her lunch at, handing her the puffer. She tucked it where it belonged, paid him back, and then took his arm, making sure to also use her cane. She was better, yes, but she still felt rather fragile and raw.

‘Do not give any hint that you know what you do,' she warned him. ‘Don't say anything about the NDA, or the fact that I'm...' She faltered, then added, ‘different, now, okay?'

“Who would I say this to?” he demanded.

‘I don't know,' she agreed. ‘But alongside it, don't let on that you're a ghost that has merged with a corporeal body, Metta. If anyone finds out, we're both dead – or worse.'

She was serious, and it saddened him. “I promise,” he said, patting her hand.

She smiled weakly, before nodding. With a tug, she urged him to start to walk, and he did. They walked in silence for most of the trip, neither able to speak for quite some time.

It still hurt.


	35. Expectation and Reality

Toriel didn't sleep much that day, a first in many, many years. She mostly just stayed in the living room, curled up in her favourite chair (she named everything, and Chairiel was no exception), her eyes wide and fixed on the tiny television screen, its reception both excellent and grainy depending on which signals it picked up, and Toriel watched every single flash.

_Sort of._

She would often drift off into sleep, for perhaps a half-hour; two hours at best, and that was only because her husband and children had retreated without her noticing. She only knew when she woke up from it, surprised by the time and the silence – only to be transfixed, again.

Most of what she watched was pure garbage, junky daytime television shows blurring past her eyes without even remembering them, later (save in dreams, oddly enough). It was only the stuff between, hidden within commercial breaks or news broadcasts, that were hints of the populace's mood, especially after a day of accepting the rather suspect appearance of a whole new law, that caught her attention. She was wide awake for those moments, terrified that one of them would confirm that it had been passed, but was proven wrong each time.

Asriel was not okay with this. He was an adult, but he still loved his parents deeply. Toriel was his hero, his role model, and he often looked to her for advice or comfort whenever he needed it. Upon offering the same in return, however, Toriel didn't even let him try; the most she would allow was a hug, or a cuddle as they watched TV, but even that was half-hearted.

Asriel left after she fell asleep for "the millionth time," he claimed, and went outside to join Chara and Asgore – both were gardening, keeping busy, and Asriel remained with them, after that (even if all he did was watch).

Once night fell, the sunstones lit up, little reflective shards of glass that could absorb a fire or light spell, one that could be timed to coincide with the sunrise above them. If one had enough of them, they could simulate sunshine, even in a dark, underground cave. Home was especially littered with them, especially within. Only Chara could really tell the difference between sunstonelight and sunlight, and that was because they still remembered the surface.

Toriel was sleeping once the three tiptoed back in, Chara slipping past them to go immediately to their room, closing the door behind them. They were angry, because they'd wanted to go to the Ebott City Hall, aboveground, and demand an audience with both the human leader and their own Leader, to stop the law from passing. Asriel had wanted the same, if less aggressively (Chara's plan involved a lot of fire and baseball bats).

But Asgore refused to let either of them go beyond the garden that day, frightened of what both humans and monsters might end up doing to either of them in return.

“We must wait,” he insisted, even as Chara jerked away and started crying in frustration. “Chara, we _must_. _They_ think this is the right decision; they need to accept the consequences of these actions--,”

“And then, it'll be too late to fight it!” Chara snapped. “It'll be too late to _stop_ it! And then it won't matter, because I’ll be taken away from you!!”

Asriel hugged them at that, and Chara actually hugged back, reaching for him once they knew he was reaching for them. They burst into furious sobs, punching Asriel's back lightly, and Asgore rubbed their back, even after they growled at him.

“You will _not_ ,” Asgore answered. “You _are_ a Dreemurr. You are a _monster_.”

“Get serious,” Chara insisted. “They'll find a way.”

“Then that's when we'll get the bats out,” Asriel interjected.

Chara sobbed in reply, the answer a good one, but it was still not enough for them to feel better, or even joke in return. Instead, they locked themself in their room, and refused to let Asgore or Asriel in, even when they tried.

It was about eight PM by them, and as a result, Toriel was not only still awake, but was going to remain awake, now: she always woke up at eight PM, to use those four hours before her shift as best as she could.

Tonight, she saw her husband and son trying to talk to their human, and she nudged them both away with a well-placed hip and a few sharp words.

Then, she knocked on the door, and called, “Chara, you cannot isolate yourself like this.”

From inside the room, all three heard the human snort in derision over such a claim, especially from the source.

“Yes,” Toriel agreed with a sigh. She felt exhausted already, her whole body feeling raw with lack of sleep, and she rubbed her eyes, hardboiled eggs shoved into unwilling sockets. “ _I've_ been pushing _you_ away all day, instead of being _smart_. I always thought you were smarter than me, Chara.”

“No one is,” came the reply. Behind her, both men nodded, but Toriel scowled.

“No, certainly not whilst acting the way you are, now,” Toriel agreed archly. “You're an adult _and_ a politician, Chara. You cannot hide like a child, anymore.”

The door opened, and Chara glared up at her, their reddish eyes glinting with indignation. “Mom, I’m _not_ a politician,” they answered.

Toriel simply blinked.

“I never was! It's not my fault I was found by a prince!” they added. “I've never been good at this! I _hate_ people! I hate _humans_! And I’m not a monster, as much as I wish I could be, no matter how hard I try! And I know everyone else sees me as a human, too!”

Their eyes filled with tears, again. “I don't want this, anymore,” they whispered, lowering their head. “I don't want to be Prime Minister. I don't want to do this. I just want to be your child!”

“But that's what being our child is about,” Asgore said firmly, surprising them. “You _are_ a Dreemurr; with that name comes responsibilities. This is not about _want_ , Chara, and we all know this. You are good at your job, have proven yourself over time and again, and this will be no exception, whatsoever.”

Chara covered their face and broke down, wishing this was true, wishing they could accept this. But now, with constant reminders of what they were and what they stood to lose, it was impossible to even pretend they were a monster. And it was that humanity that spelt their doom, a fact that had them in childlike tears.

For about an hour, Toriel spent her time with Chara. She sat them down onto the couch and sat next to them, and Chara curled up into her side like they had as a child. Toriel held them like one, and to their surprise, she started to cry, too.

Most of that hour was spent crying, while Asriel and Asgore did some errands for them both (making her lunch, going to the Underground-surface embassy to question them about the new law, chores, etc.).

But near the end, after Chara and Toriel had sobbed out every ounce of pain and fear, something Toriel admitted to sharing, they had calmed, mostly. Chara was in her lap, and Toriel rocked them both, her cheek resting against the top of Chara's head.

“Mommy,” Chara whispered, their eyes swollen and their voice minuscule. “Please don't let him take me away. _I won't survive it.”_

Toriel felt a painful stitch within her belly, like being stapled from the inside, and she bit her lip, stopping herself from sobbing, too. She knew what Chara was saying, knew how hard it was for them to say it, and knew how important it was to get it out. It hurt Toriel because she knew how sincere it was, that kind of sentiment, and knew why it existed at all.

And it was the final drop of oil within an old, tired lamp. It hissed as it evaporated, splattering up into her heart and soul, burning both beyond repair.

“I promise,” she agreed, not at all surprised that she meant it. “I will not let him take you away. I will not let him _or_ anyone touch you. I promise you. If they try, _I will kill them all.”_

Chara looked up at her, then, their eyes wide with surprise – but also gratitude. For the first time since hearing about this whole mess, when their eyes met Toriel's, Chara felt their fear lighten up, just a little. They felt protected, their safety unharmed, but it also reminded them of just how much they stood to lose in Toriel, herself.

They nodded, before burying their face back into her shoulder. Toriel smiled and kissed the top of their head, even as both felt her tears, raining down upon her human child.

Asgore and Asriel had heard it all from the kitchen, and after Asgore checked to make sure that they were safe, he went back to the kitchen and hugged Asriel tight, just as they both broke down too.

It was a very unhappy start to a new workday, something that Toriel soon learnt was actually shared by others.

In hindsight, however, that wasn't at all surprising, but that was what made it hindsight in the first place.

* * *

When Alphys saw the building before her – actually looked at it, instead of looking past it to get through its doors – she stopped walking, stumbling when Mettaton kept moving forward without noticing her stop.

Once he did, he backtracked and helped her steady herself. “What is it?” he asked her, feeling small pleasure when he saw people stop and look at him, both with confusion and curiosity.

Alphys didn't answer at first, her eyes too focused, her brain too one-tracked.

It was a tall building, one meant to house gigantic aircraft, or completes machinery and computers – a new thing, that, but no less fascinating.

It was supposed to be a place that was dedicated to discovery, to learning, to figuring out what an industrial revolution had truly meant, and what almost seventy years within it did to people.

Now, it was used only for soul research, most of it morally bankrupt. There was no work done here to benefit _anyone_ , except maybe their Leader. He had everyone duped into thinking that they wanted it and stood to benefit from it, too, and all without wanting to see the trut: that this was a dictatorship, and only one person spoke for the whole – and with a corrupted voice, too.

_Sort of._

_How could someone like that be my father...?_

_But then,_ she laughed inwardly at herself. If anything, given her own mother, was this such a surprise?

What kind of person could ever love someone like her?

 _Speaking of morally bankrupt_ , she thought dryly, still feeling painful chafing at her sides.

Now, if anything, her mother's cruelty actually made sense, even if she did everything by choice. It didn't matter: each choice and decision were  _also_ shared by Gaster.

Even when Alpha was about to murder her own daughter, Gaster had still hesitated before pulling her away.

 _Because he still wanted to see if it would work,_ she realised.

_If hurting me would somehow... activate whatever it was they needed activated._

Then, it hit her.

‘I know how I failed, now,' she said, the words making no sense to Mettaton. ‘When I failed the experiment. I know why it was a failure.”

Mettaton was worried about her, now. Whenever she repeated a word too much, it meant her mind wasn't focused on what she said, not enough to care about semantics. But when he understood the question, he didn't say anything. He could tell that she needed a listener, not a helper.

'This.' She waved her arms before them, waving at the building itself. 'They were trying to make me into a Boss Monster. They injected _something_ , either from here or made in the True Lab, and they tried to make me into a Boss Monster.’

Her hands went still, her face falling into one of annoyed rage. ‘What did they inject into me, Metta? What did they do to me?'

She paused to scratch at her sides, first her left, then her right, then back again.

Mettaton watched her carefully. He discovered that he was a step ahead of her, a step that was starting a walk, then a jog, to the answer to that question.

 _Simple math_ , he told himself. _Math always works out at the end. That's why it's math to begin with._

Alphys clearly had had the _potential_ to be a Boss Monster thanks to that injection, only it didn't... _activate_ until now, through completely unrelated events—

 _Wait_ , he thought. _Unrelated?_

“I don't know,” he confessed, stalling as his mind went past him. “Maybe there's a way to find out, tonight. How are you feeling? Are you...?”

She held a hand up to stop him, her eyes narrowed and blazing, and he got the message.

Even if the NDA didn't work, that didn’t make the monsters walking past them deaf or blind.

So he hugged her, whispering as softly as possible, “Ask her. Talk to her. Tell her we're - the Blooks - trying to find a way to help.”

Alphys nodded, closing her eyes for a moment, before she pulled away. Mettaton kissed her cheek – a strange, smoothly cold feeling, his lips metallic but also... kinda nice. She blushed a little, smiling, before she thanked him, kissed his cheek in return, then took her bag, tossing it over her shoulder.

‘See you later?' she offered.

“Of course,” he agreed. Unspoken were the words: “Tell me everything as soon as you can.”

She still nodded, smiling. When _he_ nodded, she turned and hobbled forward, feeling prickly and uncomfortable and tired, yes: beyond measure.

But with each step she took, she began to feel almost... better. She figured it was simply excitement and mood, and warned herself to keep it hidden; she did not want Gaster's attention, today. 

But she also allowed herself to enjoy that excitement; such a feeling was rare, and she wanted to take advantage of it.

Toriel was waiting for her when she walked in, surprising her, and Toriel looked... _awful_ , as awful as Alphys felt, but when she saw Alphys, her eyes softened, and she stood up, then went to meet her.

The second she was close enough, Alphys dropped her cane and threw herself forward, hugging onto Toriel tight. The Queen caught her and hugged her back, and as if on cue, both burst into tears.

Around them, their coworkers watched with confusion; the day before, they were practically climbing over each other to avoid being seen by either.

Now, nobody could leave, drawn to them.

Toriel pulled away, first, holding Alphys's pale face within her hands. Their eyes met; Alphys flinched, but Toriel did not. The fact that the proof remained, after an entire day, actually comforted her, as it could mean many, many things.

Alphys covered her face, so Toriel gently stopped her, sitting them both down on the nearest bench and taking her hands. Alphys lowered her head, ashamed and embarrassed, as now, she had to tell Toriel what she and Mettaton had discovered, including her parentage.

Or, so she thought.

“Alphys,” Toriel whispered.

Alphys nodded, taking one hand back to scratch again at her sides, gritting her teeth with annoyance; it only seemed to make it itchier.

“I have something I need to tell you, something personal,” Toriel began – before she stopped, discovering their audience.

To them, she pitched her voice louder and said, “Dwelling here before the eyes that recognise all of you from yesterday is not wise, please.”

The wording was kind, formal, but within it was a sharp, loaded warning, and they took off, only a few hesitating before they were dragged away by the others.

Alphys started shaking, then. She thought it was something she had yet to know, and the implied gravity that came with it was too heavy.

But Toriel was kind. “Alphys... I'm sorry I kept this from you, but now, there's no reason to." She inhaled, then sighed slowly, before she finally got it out. "You're Gaster's daughter."

Alphys felt the blood leave her face, not because she didn't already know that, but because hearing it said aloud, in such simple terms, hurt her more than it would have coming from herself.

If someone else said it, it meant it was real.

But she nodded, meeting Toriel's gaze, again, and this time, she only twitched. Toriel looked surprised, so Alphys took her other hand back to explain – once both were certain that they were away from any camera's full sight.

Alphys closed her eyes, held her hands up between them, and told Toriel as much as she could, like she had with Mettaton, using the same careful edits. She made it clear that she already knew she had to keep that knowledge from him, and that it somehow was related to everything that had happened – another answer she, herself, already knew, but refused to accept it until someone else said it, first – like with Gaster.

Toriel then revealed that she knew even more than Alphys did, but as gently and as delicately as possible, terrified of setting Alphys off.

“Alphys, fifteen years ago, you turned eighteen,” she began. “And, fifteen years ago... Undyne was first kidnapped and experimented on. Here. By Gaster... and his partner. Your mother, Alpha."

Alphys went still, then, pausing in mid-scratch. She lowered her hand, her eyes going wide, before she went still, barely breathing. She didn't even she’d any tears; her eyes simply unfocused, her mind derailed.

_Because..._

_Of course._

It made complete sense with that applied variable. It made _everything_ make sense. It brought up a few questions (sans was a good start, ironically), but it still made perfect sense.

_Bright blue, like freshly polished topaz, a colour I'd never seen before then, but somehow still recognised, especially when looking back..._

She had a name for it, now, but she knew that syringe had been important. The name wasn't an object, but a name.

_Undyne. It was from Undyne._

That substance had been stolen from Undyne and given to Alphys. It failed to take, and she was disowned.

Not long after, Undyne escaped, and Alphys was hired.

Mere days later, Alphys visited Waterfall's abyss – and so had Undyne.

And when Alphys began to feel something, hear something, know something, within those waters alongside her, she began to try to sing.

The waters sang back, and she was entranced, to the point of physical urgency, while Undyne was right beneath her, similarly entranced.

From her eighteenth birthday to now, her life and Undyne's had connected.

Now, that connection was not only _realised_ , but _complete_.

And as a result, Alphys began to giggle.

Toriel had expected tears, or protests, perhaps even violence, a slap or punch, a kick or tailswipe, or shaky, caustic signing. She looked closer at Alphys, and saw that her friend's face was bright and pink, not pale, and though she still cried – a _lot_ – she was still giggling, the sound almost completely silent and made mostly of short gasps.

“Alphys!” Toriel breathed out, taking hold of her shoulders to steady her friend, especially when Alphys hunched over, her arms wrapped around her middle.

Alphys nodded, holding up a hand for a moment, before finding another burst of gaiety, and started again.

Once she realised she was confusing poor Toriel, she tried to explain, her fingers shaky and her arms wobbly.

‘I'm so _happy_ ,' she tried. ‘I can live with my burden, if Undyne and I are together.’

It wasn't all that she wanted to say, but all she _could_ say, for quite some time, her happiness so genuine that it forced her to _laugh at it._

Alphys had, after all, walked into this place, expecting her life change yet again, but miserably so. She was certain that Undyne would hate her once she found out, only to be given proof that they should never be apart.

She came in ready to lose everything, only to be given more than she ever expected to get.

Now, the tides had turned, and there was no going back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeeep. Now, you pancakes know 95% of it. And with it, finally, things are about to become fun.


	36. Tell Her The TRUTH

There was a loud clanking noise, followed by the lights coming on and the generator turning on, one used overnight or during blackouts (a common problem when they were still depending on humans for it).

It woke Undyne up with a start, finding herself curled up upon the floor. She checked the water with her gills, feeling it warm up a little alongside the rest, and with a jolt, she understood: it was midnight.

A wave of excitement rushed through her, filling her with surprising energy, and she used it to spring up from the floor to the surface, climbing up onto the plank and resting upon it for a moment, letting herself dry. She wrung her hair out, listening to the radio lazily, then checked the clothes bag – and found more than the spare suit. She found a comb, brushes – tooth and hair – and soap, the kind made from seaweed, making it a good scrubbing tool, too.

The last thing she found was a pouch of chalky white pellets. She poked one, tasting the dust that came away from it, and frowned. She lowered her hand to her gills, smelling it, and it took a few more tries to figure it out, especially when it seemed to shrink each time. On a whim, she tossed that bead into the pool, where it quickly dissolved, leaving no trace behind. She touched the water, then licked her finger, and blinked with more surprise.

They were soap-beads. They were to keep her clean as she swam. She'd used them before, in her own baths at home, and felt silly that she'd missed them, making her wonder what else she missed. With a smile, she threw three more in, then one last one for good measure, then watched them disappear slowly. After a few minutes, the magic within the chemicals were activated, and with a soft cloud of bubbles, the pool's waters cleared, looking less dingy from dirt and blood.

She looked deeper into the bag, checking it for magical pockets, but the last thing she found was the pair of underwear she'd worn when captured. They were dry, now, and she unwrapped them and held them in her palms, looking at them. They were very... risqué. _Sexy_. The only language this piece of clothing knew was seduction, and she felt herself shiver.

 _Alphy might come by,_ today, was all she thought as she examined them. _Alphy might come by to see me, might even want to swim in here with me..._

She tossed another pellet in over her shoulder at that thought, but the thought didn't go away.

With a small, exasperated smile at herself, she grabbed the entire bag, shoving all she needed into it, then least into the pool with a soft cry, grinning.

 _Fuck it,_ was her happy decision. _Plan for the best._

So she did.

* * *

Toriel couldn't speak at first; her mouth was too dry, and her eyes had yet to focus. She could see Alphys laughing silently, tears running down her cheeks, and therefore knew that what Alphys said was true. It was why she was so paralysed: she had no chance of sharing Alphys's joy, because all she could see was the danger she was now in.

 _If Gaster finds out that she's a Boss Monster, she's dead,_ Toriel knew. _She's either dead, or destined to die upon a metal slab._

_Only… no._

Toriel loved Alphys as one of her own, and felt just as protective. At the mere thought of Alphys being experimented on, Toriel felt angrier and angrier.

 _He_ did _create the monster he wanted,_ she knew, noticing the change in Alphys's expression, despite everything being blurry and dim. _He just didn't… know that it would split between two people..._

_Wait. No, again._

‘Toriel?’ Alphys signed, trying to catch her gaze, to speak to her more, to ask her what was wrong. She didn't get why Toriel looked so scared.

_Yet._

“Alphys,” Toriel replied suddenly, startling Alphys. “I need you to trust me, okay? I need to ask you a few things, before we even consider going to get our carts, okay?”

Alphys paled, then, her smile long-gone and her stomach tying itself up into intestinal knots.

“Alphys, your mother… Who saw you first, after you woke up from the injection?” asked Toriel. "Alpha or Gaster?"

‘Mother,’ Alphys answered right away.

Toriel's heart stopped – it felt like it had done so literally – for several beats, before she could accept her answer. _She_ knew that Alpha had been a Boss Monster, because back then, they'd kept a registry, as the list was very short.

“Do you remember how it felt, to see her eye-to-eye?” Toriel asked.

Alphys blinked, clearly taken aback by this, and she leaned back a little, needing to think on it. She was lucky that the memories remained close to the surface, thanks to talking about it with Metta, because now, she could actually check for that, too, and far easier.

* * *

I can't breathe! I can't! It hurts!

_She screamed that first time, but it came out soft, because she was in horrible pain and had trouble breathing. She hadn't been able to get her eyes open; they drugged her air right after._

_The second time was from her mother attacking her, of pain literally clawing at her sides, and she screamed herself awake that time, even as it dragged out of her throat, her voice was… odd…_

Focus. Remember every detail. Did she look into my eyes? At any time, before I fainted, and during that attack?

_The answer was a slap across her brain, because she did remember a time that their eyes had met: between the first attack and the second one._

_Alpha_ had _paused after a few scratches, yelling at Alphys to look at her, and she remembered that she obeyed, even as she was going into shock._

No.

I went into shock from that first gaze, because I _did_ feel something.

I remember, now.

_Alpha had grabbed her face between her bloody hands, yanking her face up to meet her own, and when their eyes met—_

_\--Alpha’s eyes flared, her face going even paler, just as Alphys quickly shut them with a scream, the feeling akin to being punched in both eyes at once._

_And right after, Alpha attacked her, again. She asked Alphys to look at between each attack, but after that first one, Alphys's eyes remained closed._

_And after that, whenever their eyes met, she had felt nothing, just like she had with Toriel._

* * *

Toriel stared at her, now, crying silently from how painful that had been to understand.

Alphys was surprised, because she didn't understand why she seemed so sad.

But she knew, now.

With all that Alphys told her, she actually began to understand something that Alphys had never been able to: _why_.

_Why did Alpha keep attacking her? Why did she demand to see Alphys's eyes?_

‘Eyesight,’ Alphys signed, suddenly, her mirth fading. ‘I was told that Boss Monsters recognise each other, the second their eyes met. Is that what keeps happening to us?’

Toriel nodded. “It fades after a while.”

Alphys looked relieved to hear that. She didn't like the idea of not being able to have eye-contact with one of her best friends (well, in her opinion; she didn't know if it was reciprocated), so to know that it wouldn't last between her two best friends, she was happy.

But then, she thought about something.

_Did I feel anything, when Undyne met my gaze?_

She didn't remember.

She remembered that their eyes met several times in the infirmary, and that each time, she _did_ feel something, it was true: her heart skipped, her body flashed hot, like she’d been electrocuted, and she felt bubbles of happiness burst within her belly.

_Did that mean something? Was it the same thing?_

_Was Undyne a Boss Monster, now, too?_

‘Did you meet her eye?’ Alphys asked Toriel. ‘Undyne's?’

At first, Alphys had said Undyne's name by spelling it out, but this time, she used proper signs woven together.

Toriel felt her heart warm up, as with those gestures, she could see the affection that Alphys had for Undyne. She knew that Undyne loved Alphys, because it was obvious. To see that there was affection returned - though to what extent, she didn't know, yet - was still a happy thing.

 _This could actually be something good,_ Toriel realised. _In fact… if anything…_

 _Gaster might have actually engineered his_ doom _._

“I didn't,” she agreed, “because I never had a chance.”

Alphys's eyes flared with shock. ‘So then, _she_ could be, too!’

Toriel shook her head. “Undyne never was a Boss Monster.”

‘But neither was I, until yesterday,’ Alphys replied with a wry smile.

Toriel bit her lip, nodding.

‘Toriel. I want to see her. Please?’

She closed her eyes for a moment, rubbing her forehead. “Well, as far as I know, that's what we're here for: to make sure the hangar stays clean. That's all we need to do.”

‘Unless we're paged,’ Alphys replied.

Toriel smiled grimly. “Let's find out,” she suggested.

With a strained smile – she was scratching, again – Alphys agreed, and they were on their way.

Neither had no idea how much was about to change.

 _Forever_.

* * *

Gaster watched as his midnight staffs filed in, keeping an eye out for specific figures. Even when he caught someone doing something annoying in another hallway, he instead focused on the hallway to the hangar. Several people walked up and down, making their way, until the shift started in truth.

Shortly after, he saw two carts come into view, and he honestly felt excitement. He sat on his desk to lean closer, his chin resting atop his hands.

Toriel was first, using her keycard to open the door. She disappeared within it, and a few paces behind her, Alphys followed.

He watched her especially, and saw that she still bore the evidence of illness. She moved slow, leaning heavily against the cart to stay on her feet. After a moment, Toriel pulled Alphys’s cart in for her, and Alphys signed a thank you before following – and the doors closed.

He had to admit it: _now_ , he regretted not putting a camera in, as he knew he was about to miss a great deal of interaction.

 _But then, that's what sans is for._ Gaster paged him, and after a few minutes, he arrived, looking tired.

“Hey,” he said carefully.

‘Hello,’ Gaster agreed. ‘They're in the hangar, now. Will you go monitor, please?’

“okay, but what if nothing happens because i’m there?”

‘Then leave.’

“then why have me--,”

Gaster slapped his hand down upon the desk, and despite the holes in his hands, the strike was hard. sans flinched, looking away for a moment, before turning back, his eyes dim.

“on my way,” sans finished, practically running out of the office.

Gaster watched him, making sure he did, and luckily, this time, sans had no issue obeying.

He was curious, too.

* * *

The second she heard the doors open, Undyne's heart began to beat so fast that it made her dizzy. Quickly, she dove into the water silently, cursed by a bout of sudden shyness, despite her own wants and needs.

But it _was_ Toriel and Alphys. She could hear Toriel's voice, muffled and low from under water, but still reassuring.

‘Please,’ Alphys begged, abandoning her cart and going right to the pool. ‘Please, Toriel.’

“I had every intention of doing the cleaning,” Toriel replied, smiling. “I think it's imperative that you check on her.”

Alphys smiled at her, then, her face red and bright, the exhaustion within her eyes still there, but nothing would stop her, now.

But when Undyne didn't come up, Alphys felt nervous. She leaned over the lip of the pool, placing her hand upon the waters, before letting it sink, its warmth wrapping around her fingers. It felt nice.

Alphys had no idea that, the second she did it was the second that Undyne felt it - her - in the water. Whether it was because of that hand, or something purely within herself, Undyne didn't care. She _knew_ that hand – she could smell it, and she raced to it, holding something under her arm.

When she popped up to the shallow end, Alphys jerked back, as there was quite a splash. It made Alphys laugh silently, and when Undyne turned to her and grinned, Alphys applauded.

“Hey,” Undyne greeted her, surprised she could speak so calmly. She floated over to her, then knelt down in front of her.

Alphys blushed deeply, her eyes wandering a little, as Undyne was… _very wet_ … but she waved, just a little, biting her lip.

Toriel laughed, and Undyne smirked – even when Alphys blushed and covered her face, embarrassed.

“You covering for us, Queeny?” Undyne asked her.

“Yes,” Toriel agreed. “As long as you keep me in the loop.”

Undyne, however, frowned. “Why? You said you won't help me.”

Toriel didn't answer, however. Instead, she shrugged, then turned away, her smile remaining.

Alphys was shaking, now, both from want and shyness, and Undyne felt her stomach flood with happy butterflies.

Their eyes met, and both felt warmth hit their souls.

Suddenly, there was no one else but them.

Alphys was transfixed upon Undyne, now – her face. She moved closer, leaning over and reaching out with a shaking hand. Undyne smiled and actually leaned toward it, and when they made contact, Undyne shivered, reaching up and pressing that hand against her cheek. Alphys found herself dizzy, so many desires warring within her, not all of them having to with sex (surprisingly).

Undyne smiled at her, and Alphys shivered, that time. “Hey,” she said. “Wanna go for a swim?”

Toriel's ears twitched at that.

Alphys nodded quickly, almost letting herself literally topple into the pool as she was dressed, now – forgetting about her own puffer, she was that eager.

Undyne laughed and stopped her, then reached into the water and held up a bag. “Put this on.”

Alphys was confused, taking it, but when Undyne nodded, she quickly took it and disappeared around the corner, making sure no one saw her change.

This was an oddly good call, as when she was in her underwear, she saw that her sides had actually gotten _worse_ : the four, even slits were not only flaring up bright red, but was also spreading, throughout the entirety of each scar, and they almost throbbed between itching spells. She’d even accidentally scratched away from scales, and she bled a little.

What was going on…?

What did this even mean?

_Maybe the waters will heal them; it has been at least a day since you were in Waterfall. Maybe that's why this is happening._

It wasn't, and was about to find out why.

She found a one-piece swimsuit, one with open flanks – clearly made for Undyne – and she worried it would be too small, as Undyne was slim, and she was not. But Undyne was also quite tall, and once she’d swapped out her underwear for the suit.

It fit.

Her sides were visible, making her very uncomfortable, but she hoped Undyne wouldn't notice, and folded up all of her clothes, before padding back over, hugging her clothes to her chest.

Undyne saw – and stared, her face flushing crimson, the rest of her blood flooding south. Like that dress in their dream, the suit hugged Alphys's body, in such a flattering way, and she loved it.

Alphys hid her face shyly and shoved her clothes into her bag, making sure it stayed closed, lest anyone else saw it and wondered. When she turned back, holding her hands in front of her from both shyness and necessity, she found both Undyne and Toriel staring at her. 

At that, she scratched a bit more, flinching a little, and that got Toriel's attention.

“Goodness!” Toriel cried. “Alphys, are you alright?”

Alphys blushed, moving her hand away from her side, before she nodded, using that hand to magic her glasses to her face. She clearly didn't want to talk about it, so Toriel dropped it.

But Undyne was staring at those markings, keenly aware of them, for what should be obvious reasons, by now. She felt a chill when she saw them, because she was certain that she knew what it mean, but…

Alphys looked at her, biting her lip, but when she did, Undyne smiled, again, and held out her hands. Alphys lit up and went back over, reaching over to touch her hands – and found them grabbed.

With a triumphant, overjoyed cackle, Undyne dragged her into the pool, picked her up, and dove back down, moving to the deep end. She watched Alphys carefully, and saw how surprised she was to see the pool as it was – because it was exactly like their dream, save a lack of sand.

When they paused at the bottom, Alphys was looking uncomfortable. Undyne knew why, but she hesitated a little. She hadn't hesitated to grab hold of Alphys, even with knowing the truth of who she was. She hadn't even bothered to second guess it; when she saw Alphys, she knew that it had changed _nothing_.

So, with a warm smile, Undyne touched Alphys's cheek, their eyes meeting, again, and both shivered, feeling the same jolt of bliss. She drew Alphys’s face to hers, and they _finally_ kissed.

It was beyond anything they'd felt in that dream.

After Alphys had been given air, something that made her giggle against Undyne's lips, amused that she was already used to doing that. Undyne shivered, hearing that giggle before Alphys did, and it made her pull Alphys nearer, so that their bodies pressed close. Their kiss continued, and when they hit the floor, Alphys moved before she was even asked, and sat down in Undyne's lap, making sure their lips stayed together.

Undyne held her tight, but also helped her adjust, so that Alphys straddled her waist while sitting in her lap, front-to-front. The kiss had paused during that, but resumed once she was as settled as possible – she still floated a little – and Undyne kept her in place.

Comfortable, again, they kissed, and this time, they didn't stop for quite some time. Barely a word had been exchanged between them, and yet both felt that they had already said what needed to be said.

Except… one thing.

Undyne felt a stone drop into her stomach, and she pulled away, panting a little with her eye closed, and Alphys rested heavily against her for a moment. Both were trembling from the force of how incredible that kiss had been, and the idea of how much better it could be, if they went by how amazing that kiss had been.

_But first..._

Undyne cupped Alphys's face within her hands, and she said, very softly, “Alphy, I need to tell you something.”

Alphys nodded, pointing to herself, then Undyne, then back to herself: she also had something she wanted to say, but didn't know _how_. She scratched at her sides more than before, feeling like the water was making it _worse_ , not better. She flinched when she hit to blood, again, closing her eyes briefly, before using both hands on both sides and just scratching as hard as possible.

Undyne watched her closely, her eye on those scars, and frowned. “Is that normal?” she wondered.

Alphys shook her head, flinching when her claws broke more skin, but she couldn’t help it. The itching felt like it was _below_ the skin, perhaps _within_ her skin, and it was getting harder to ignore.

Undyne suddenly grabbed Alphys's hands and stopped her. Alphys frowned, but Undyne reached out and touched one side, the line that was now bleeding a little. The skin was burning, throbbing with Alphys's heartbeat, and it was clear that _something_ was happening beneath her skin. Two of the five scars on each side were the same bright red, too bright for blood, both internal _and_ external.

When she ran a finger along one of those slits, Alphys went still, her eye widening. She felt it, _keenly_ , and it made her shiver, the touch almost… _intimate_.

Undyne then kissed Alphys, again, to give her more air, but Alphys clung to her and deepened it, making Undyne utter a soft grunt of want, and she of course returned it.

But it was interrupted by more scratches.

Finally, Undyne took her hands, again. “Come up with me. I need to see it better, to help. We can't kiss like this.”

Alphys frowned, tilting her head to the side, and Undyne smiled, finding that so cute. But she agreed, and took her hand. Undyne brought them both up to the platform, something Alphys needed a great deal of help with, and Undyne easily did. They sat side-by-side, then turned to face each other.

Alphys looked up at Undyne, her eyes suddenly filling with tears, and she lowered her head, covering her face. Undyne bit her lip, then touched her shoulder.

“Alphy?” she whispered, hearing Toriel move around - and not wanting her to hear anything, yet.

Alphys nodded, and Undyne touched her cheek.

“Alphy, I found something out recently, and you need to know it. But I also need you to answer me.” She paused, then called, “Hey, Queeny, do you have a pencil and paper?”

“no, but _i_ do.”

Undyne grabbed Alphys and pulled her close from shock before she realised that sans was okay, despite how they left it between them.

“Why are _you_ here?” she snarled back. “Are you really gonna babysit us?”

“nope.”

“What, then?!”

But Alphys was staring over the pool, toward the sound of sans's voice, and she tugged on Undyne's hand, nodding. She pointed to her own mouth, then over to sans, and Undyne nodded, despite feeling wary about it. She took hold of Alphys, warned her to hold her breath, and they dove back under.

Alphys enjoyed a beautiful moment upon Undyne's back as she swam, her arms around Undyne's neck, and it was so much fun, the water touching her like heavy but soothing blankets.

When they surfaced, sans jumped back and yelped, making even Toriel laugh, too.

Alphys giggled silently, not letting go of Undyne rather proudly, and Undyne looked the exact same way: like they'd known each other for over a decade.

The truth.

“holy fucking shit, undyne! why is alphys in the pool?!” he demanded.

‘Perhaps it's _in my blood,_ ’ Alphys answered.

“in your blood?” sans echoed.

Alphys smiled, nodding. ‘I know, sans. _All_ of it.’

Toriel nodded gravely, turning away to resume cleaning.

Undyne was lost. “What about blood?”

Alphys looked at sans, then said, ‘I can either sign it and you translate, or I can write it down.’

“you really know everything?”

‘Let me prove it.’

He agreed.


	37. Failed Tests, Updated Material

Alphys frowned as Undyne sat down in the chair at the desk, shivering and scratching at varying intervals. sans was taking down Undyne's vitals.

Undyne was barely paying attention to him, instead making sure that Alphys had her attention, and that she had Alphys's. She could tell that Alphys wanted to speak.

“Write it down,” Undyne suggested.

Alphys smiled, and sans pulled out a pen and pad of notepaper, and he slid them over the table as they waited for Undyne's blood pressure to finish.

Alphys took both, hesitating a little with a nervous frown. She bit her lip, scratching a little, before she looked at Undyne helplessly, confused as to how to even begin.

“you said you knew everything, and implied you could prove it, so write it down." sans offered. "i'll destroy it, later."

At that, she jolted to life and hunched over the desk, scribbling furiously. It took her as long as the tests did, and once she finished, she grinned, handing over the notes to Undyne, then wringing out her writing hand, flinching a little.

Undyne had watched her the entire time, and sans had muttered something about distracted heartbeats – but she was too focused to care. She read them, and Alphys watched her intently, barely noticing it whenever she scratched.

The more she read, the brighter Undyne's expression became – until near the end: " _I also know what it was they gave me, and why: it was what they took from you, Undyne (that's how you spell it, yes?). I received (at least) one injection of that something from you. Were you injected with something? I don't recall having anything taken from me, but who knows at this point?”_

“No,” Undyne confessed, her eye lowered to the papers, still. “I _wasn't_ injected with anything. He just… did stuff to me. Took a lot. Put me in situations and watched me react. Never gave anything back.”

Alphys signed something, and sans translated: ‘What did he take? How did he take it?’

“I dunno, but he used electrocution,” Undyne rasped out weakly. “He hooked me up to a machine, and electrocuted me twice, spacing it out between days. It made me sick." She sighed. "Then he took whatever it was that he got from that, and…”

She looked up at Alphys, who still stood before her, playing with the pen. “I guess he gave at least half... to you.”

Alphys nodded, blushing a little, though she looked to sans for confirmation.

He looked sad when he answered. “one was given to _each_ of you. he tried to changed you with your own…” He hesitated. “… _stuff_ ,” he finished weakly, looking mad at himself.

“Then… who died?” Undyne asked, noting sans's hesitation, keeping it pinned to her mind for later. "I saw it. He said someone died."

Toriel said it: “Alphys's mother. She committed suicide.”

Alphys nodded grimly, her mouth pressed into a quivering line, and Undyne took her hand and held it between her own, even as sans checked her kick reflex. Alphys blushed deeper, but also smiled a little, and her tail swayed slowly.

“it also means... you're... my sister, and papyrus's,” sans added. “and i'm the oldest.”

Alphys blinked, as she hadn't even thought to make _that_ connection, but...

_If Gaster's my father, then of course this makes sense._

_Of course he was._

_Of course they both were._

_I'm Gaster's child, and so are they._

She jumped, then quickly signed, ‘Papyrus is a Boss Monster!’

Only Undyne didn't react, because she didn't understand.

“how do you know that?” sans demanded, staring at her, now, barely remembering to put the hammer down.

‘I met him, in the infirmary. He gave me soup.’ She waved her hand before her eyes. ‘His eyes… _hit_ me, like Toriel's did.’

“i’m sorry,” sans cut in. “are you trying to tell me that _you're_ a boss monster, alphys?”

He'd expected a shy admission of levity, but instead got an angry glare. She answered, her gestures were sharp and angry. ‘You act like you always know _everything_! How can you not already know _this_? How can _this_ be news to _you?!’_

That reminded Toriel. She set her broom aside and went over, keeping her eyes lowered, before she touched Undyne's chin and kept her head still. She looked nervous about it, but Toriel cut to the chase, and looked right into Undyne's single eye with both of her own.

It was like being blinded by a flashlight, or the flash of a camera, and Undyne shut her eye with a yelp and held her hands up for good measure, looking away and shivering.

Toriel had felt it, too. She covered her mouth and stepped back, almost tripping over her own cart.

It was _surreal_.

To suddenly go from being the only known (real) Boss Monster – besides a _fake_ second – in this building... before now, she'd been one of at _most_ _three_ others.

Now, she was one of at _least six._

 _"Ow, Queeny!"_ Undyne cried, rubbing her watering eye.

Alphys went over to Toriel, touching her other hand, and she opened her eyes, seeing concern in her dear friend's eyes.

“It's alright, Alphys,” Toriel whispered, patting her hand in return. “It's true: Undyne is a Boss Monster, now, too.” Even when she said it aloud, it hadn't clicked for her, yet. 

Undyne jolted, then rose to her feet like a blur, standing right up into Toriel’s face, while pulling Alphys gently into her arms protectively. Alphys blushed deeper, biting her lip and shifting from foot to foot, her tail swaying again, and Undyne squeezed her a little, encouraging her to relax – and cling back.

“I’m _not_ a fucking Boss Monster,” she snapped at Toriel, her eye narrow and flashing.

“You are, Undyne. And so is Alphys.”

She blinked, then looked down at Alphys, who looked back up at her. “But I was never injected with anything!” she protested.

“that's not true,” sans agreed, starting to pack up his equipment. “i literally _just_ told you that that wasn't true.”

“And because of it, you're connected to Alphys, Undyne,” Toriel reminded her. “Do you not recall that she fainted from blood loss, yesterday? Without losing a single drop, but after you lost a bucket's worth?"

“Yes,” Undyne growled, looking away and blinking hard several times; it stung her eyes, as if she looked at the sun for too long. But with Alphys, she felt soothing and warm, her past discomforts washing away with a single glance…

“But how does _that_ suddenly make _me_ a Boss Monster?” she snapped.

“The same way it made Alphys one,” Toriel replied.

‘No, you're _all_ wrong,’ Alphys broke in, and sans echoed, his tone monotonous. ‘The real question is: what makes a monster _become_ a Boss Monster? I thought they were only _bred_.’

“They are,” Toriel agreed. “Alpha was a Boss Monster.”

“Well, so is _Gaster_ ,” Undyne added, looking troubled, now. “How would my… whatever it was… activate something within Alphy if Boss Monsters always breed true? _I_ wasn't bred by 'em, and I never felt weird when he looked at me, before. Not like I did with you just now, Queeny.”

Both Toriel and sans were silent, and Alphys and Undyne shared the same look of annoyance upon their faces.

‘Well? Why wasn't _I already_ a Boss Monster?’ Alphys demanded. ‘Why does a component zapped from Undyne suddenly activate it?’

“no, it didn't activate from undyne's determination,” sans sighed. "something else activated it."

“No, it did,” Toriel broke in sharply, rubbing her forehead.

Silence met her words, and though she knew she was being stared at, she kept her eyes closed.

“Alphys, when you told me what your mother did to you, and the order in which she did it, after looking at you, has led me to a very disturbing conclusion, which also explains Undyne."

Alphys stared at her, shaking so hard that only Undyne was keeping her upon her feet. She shook her head, too, her hands going up, but instead of trying to silence Toriel, she just brought them to her chest, sinking her claws into her skin with a wince.

Undyne grabbed her hands and pulled them free, and Alphys let her, keeping her head lowered as she cried, continuously shaking her head. S _he_ was starting to get it, too.

Especially when she had to keep scratching at her sides.

“toriel, what is going on? what are you talking about?”

“Why is Alphy crying?!”

Toriel held up her hands, and Alphys went silent. She slumped to the floor, curling up and hiding as best as she could.

Undyne knelt down beside her, but her eye remained on Toriel's face, still waiting for an answer.

Alphys hesitated, then turned to Undyne and hugged onto her, burying her face into her smooth, scaley shoulder, the feel of it cool against her burning cheek. Undyne closed her eye briefly, the feeling so wonderful that she wanted to cry from happiness, to pick Alphys up and dive back into the pool and then... _and then_...

“Alphys, I know. I'm sorry. But they _must_ know,” said Toriel, keeping her voice calm but firm.

“Wait!” Undyne cried. “Before you say a word, make sure everything is locked and secured, okay? Just in case, whatever it is? We can't tell the Leader, Queeny.”

“Agreed,” Toriel replied, and she moved to make the rounds as fast as possible.

Undyne knelt beside Alphys and rubbed her still-wet back, kissing the top of her head gently. Alphys burrowed closer, scared of losing her all over again, terrified of what would happen next if what she thought was true actually was – _painfully_ – true…?

It took a moment, and by the time Toriel had returned, sans had finished packing up. He stood there and waited, propping himself up on the toolcase.

Toriel sighed. “First of all, don't be angry with Alphys: _she_ just found out, now, too. It's not her fault.”

Alphys shuddered, wishing she could disappear.

“But it turns out that Alphys remembered something extremely relevant when looking back on recent memory,” Toriel explained, keeping her voice as soft as possible. “After Alpha first attacked Alphys, she had looked into Alphys's eyes. Alphys remembers feeling something that is now familiar to her, thanks to today and yesterday, and it's led me to conclude that... Alphys _was_ a Boss Monster when she first woke up from the experiment.”

Alphys raised her head, then, as hearing it aloud still made it real, and it hurt.

‘Then why did she cut me open, then lie? Why did I feel nothing when I looked at her in the hospital room? Why didn't she keep me, when I was exactly what she and Gaster _wanted_?!’

“Alphys, you lost your voice because your mother's attacks, not because of your injection.”

Alphys frowned, shaking her head. 'Please, I don't understand.’

“I don't get it,” Undyne said at the same time.

Toriel closed her eyes, then knelt down in front of them both, and took one of Alphys's hands. It was cold and shook, and she rubbed it, trying to get her to calm down. Alphys looked up at her, her teeth clicking together from how hard she shook, and there was only fear within those iridescent eyes.

“Alpha was _protecting_ you,” Toriel said. “She made it look like you had been injured by the experiment, but four of those ten slashes were _not_ because of her. But thanks to her making it look that way, once in the hospital, doctors treated all ten as if all were made from the same source, and they sewed them all shut. And when you woke up, you were mute… and had asthma. After… after you were given something that was from someone else. Undyne.”

Alphys went extremely pale, then, feeling light-headed.

_"I wanted to love you."_

_She was protecting me? She wanted to hide something, possible evidence?_

_Didn't she loathe me...?_

‘It mutated me,’ she signed slowly. ‘It changed my body. But when she had it “corrected”, then…’

sans translated for Alphys.

Undyne said, “Why didn't _I_ mutate?”

“you _did_ , undyne,” sans muttered, shaking, now, himself. “you became stronger, faster. it's not like it's just a blood transfusion with your own blood; it's a component they isolated from within your blood, the thing they zapped from you and gave back to you.”

“Does it have a name?” Undyne asked.

“determination.”

“What the fuck is it?” Undyne demanded, and Alphys stirred a little.

“A long story,” Toriel supplied with a grimace, the word still rather threatening to her. She reached out and very lightly touched Alphys's side, one finger pressing upon one of the angry red, now-swollen slashes, the perfectly straight ones, the ones that now itched and throbbed and hurt, and Alphys didn't get why…

Toriel's eyes went to Undyne's. “Undyne, I need you to do me a favour, but I can only say it to you.”

“No,” Undyne snapped. “I hide nothing from Alphy. Just tell us.”

But Alphys held up a hand and nodded. She looked up at Toriel, her eyes dark, but she kept nodding, even as she cried. _She_ knew what Toriel wanted, and trusted her; she always would.

To make sure, Alphys signed it to Toriel, and the Queen nodded grimly.

Satisfied, Alphys slowly pushed herself to her feet, taking her lover's hand, and Undyne followed, bemused and afraid.

Paradise could wait – and did.

When they were both about to jump back in, Alphys signed, ‘If it doesn't work, if we're wrong, let me die, right here, in her arms.’

No one said anything.

Undyne looked scared. “What did you just say?” she whispered. “Please tell me?”

“Alright,” Toriel said, instead – to Alphys. “I promise.”

Alphys nodded, smiling at her, before she looked up at Undyne and smiled at her, instead.

“she wants you to take her back under water,” sans lied. “she has an idea.”

He'd seen what Alphys had said, too.

Undyne bit her lip. She trusted Alphys above anyone else, but was still scared. Everything was so new and confusing, moving so _fast_ , beyond what she could hope to control… but after a moment, she nodded.

After a hug from Toriel, and with careful ease, both jumped back into the pool, one after the other, and then sank beneath the sparkling waters.

“sans,” Toriel murmured. “Are you going to be writing all of this down?”

“no,” he replied. “i’m going to make it seem like they loathe each other. that way, if gaster thinks he can use this to his advantage, he'll be thwarted by simple dislike, and maybe he'll let us all go.”

“Would that stop him?” Toriel wondered cynically. “Should we so foolishly dream?”

He sighed, dropping the case to the floor and getting ready to drag it back out, again. “all we can do is try,” was all he said, before he left.

Toriel bit her lip, then let her mind disconnect, focussing on the classical music still blaring from the radio, everyone already so used to it that it took a moment to remember how.

It was a good distraction, one all three would be grateful for – and quite soon, too.


	38. Rip and Tear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight gore warning.

When they were back where they'd started, Alphys sat down in front of Undyne, on her knees, while Undyne crossed her legs, hoping to be used as a chair.

But Alphys's face was sombre, and Undyne could tell that there was much to say – and she didn't know how. She bit her lip, wishing paper was waterproof, but it was then that Undyne got an idea.

“Alphy, we _can_ speak without words or signs,” she murmured, leaning forward and taking her hands.

Alphys tilted her head, confused for a moment, until Undyne smiled – and moved closer, so that Alphys's palms were pressed against the flat space between Undyne's small breasts – over her heart.

Alphys blinked with surprise, blushing deeply, but she also knew it was wise, and what it meant. There was so much she had to say, and pantomiming it would take too long. She was honestly glad that at least Undyne could still think...

She nodded.

Undyne grinned and moved closer, sitting on her own knees and making sure Alphys's hands remained in place. Then, she placed her own hands between Alphys's rather large breasts (it made Undyne feel rather... _wet_ , and _not_ from the water), and Alphys went crimson, relieved by the distraction of needed oxygen.

They kissed, and Alphys, once she had air, put everything she was into that kiss, making Undyne reel and moan softly from the intensity of it. Her fingers even wandered a little, sneaking over and tracing one of Alphys's nipples through the thin material of the swimsuit, and it did harden right after, making Alphys squirm and shut her eyes tight, the feeling _wonderful_ …

She hoped her idea wasn't going to end this.

Alphys then reached out with her soul, pushing it toward her hands, then imagining it sliding right under Undyne's skin, curling into her blood, before bringing it into her very heart. Upon feeling Undyne doing the same, Alphys practically dragged her into her own heart.

They both reacted, a jolt of pleasure stabbing them the second their souls had mingled, and _finally_ , even as they still kissed and exchanged air, they could speak to each other.

 _Oh my god,_ Alphys's voice whispered, the sound bright and glittering with golds and bright yellow jewels, citrine and gold diamonds, amber topaz and hazy jasper…

 _Mm_ , Undyne replied, her voice low and entwined with beautiful cerulean ribbons and sapphire sparks, ripples of turquoise waters washing over shards of pure sky…

_Undyne, I love you._

Undyne jolted, in both mind and body, and though they had to keep their eyes closed, Undyne's still filled with tears.

 _You barely know me, Alphy,_ she whispered, enchanted by the sound of Alphys's _true_ voice, amazed that it sounded exactly like the voice of their duets…

Alphys picked up on that and went with it _. I know you through those duets, Undyne. I don't know how it is that you heard me – all I heard were loud squeaks, forced out breaths, not even enough for whispers... But when_ you _speak, it's like moonlight glittering upon the most placid of waters…_

Undyne was silent, stunned. In the near decade and a half that they'd _known_ each other the way they did, she'd never truly experienced language in words with Alphys, before, instead using the language of the physical.

To hear those feelings in words amazed her, and reminded her of just how much she _had_ shared with Alphys, already...

 _I love you,_ Alphys repeated, and with it came golden waves of joy _. I loved you as my echoflower, and I love you as you are now. I would have loved you no matter what--_

 _Alphy, stop_ , Undyne begged weakly, her whole body awash in tremors, the words too beautiful to be able to handle all at once...

_You want me to pull back?_

_No!_ Undyne cried, her nails digging into Alphys's skin a little. _Don't go, yet. Please. What… what was it you and Toriel were on about?_

Alphys hesitated, then murmured, _I'm not sure whose nails are sharpest, yours or mine._

Undyne blinked, her lips pausing. _Nails? Don't you have claws? Why does it matter?_

Alphys agreed, but was uneasy _. I might not be able to do it like that, not all the way through, not without something bad happening..._

Undyne was about to repeat her question, completely lost, but Alphys had to pull a hand away to scratch at one of her side’s roughly, making her wince.

When she did, Undyne caught a bubble of a thought, and she was stunned.

 _You want me to do_ what?!

Alphys paused, then replaced her hand. _Yes_ , she agreed. _I want you to cut them open. Or watch me do it, and if I can't finish, you can finish it for me._

_But it will hurt you!_

_Not for too long. Especially if we're right._

_And if we’re wrong?_

Alphys shrugged. She didn't have an answer to that, and didn't bother to try to bluff. She somehow knew she _wasn't_ wrong. She didn't know how she knew it, but she did.

_Perhaps because of what Toriel said about Mother…_ _Why would she do it on purpose...?_

Undyne distracted her; she moved one of her hands away and touched Alphys's hip, the tips of her fingers pressing against hot, throbbing flesh, and not the usual kind. This looked angry, painful, too garishly red to be blood.

It must have been something else, then.

 _Oh…!_ Undyne now understood, astonished.

Their kiss broke, and they opened their eyes, looking at each other without breaking contact.

Alphys smiled weakly, and Undyne bit her lip, before swooping in and kissing Alphys, again, feeling scared.

Alphys returned it, then pointedly pulled away. She pointed to herself, then to Undyne, then shrugged.

“ _I_ will,” Undyne agreed. She held up her hands, and her index fingers nails were long and thick. “For peeling stuff,” she explained. "Who needs more than that?"

Alphys smiled wider, for real, and it calmed Undyne's frantic heart, just a little.

Undyne then pulled her hands away from Alphys, making them both wince from the broken contact, but they kissed again, just as Alphys placed Undyne's hands over those burning marks.

Undyne traced one on each side, first, then inhaled slowly, holding her breath.

Alphys nodded.

Undyne gritted her teeth – and dug her nails into the two scars – starting with one on each side, into the ones  _not_ caused by Alpha, pushing deeper into the already scratched-open wounds, making them bigger. Her nails kept pulling the skin apart, then away, with the more she uncovered.

Alphys involuntarily jerked away the second she felt pain, but Undyne used her bloodied hands to pull her back by her wrists before continuing. Alphys's eyes filled with pained tears, and she started to pull away, again, using her tail to try and slap Undyne's hands away, to keep them from trying again.

Alphys had changed her mind. She wanted her to let go, to stop, _now_ , because it hurt too much.

_Maybe we can do this later…?_

But when Undyne pulled her back, again, Alphys suddenly lost her ability to fight, the pain - and lost blood - making her weak.

Blood clouded around them, some dispersed by the soap in the water, but still almost blinding them. It made Undyne feel sick inside, unprepared for so much of it, and was now terrified that whatever it was she was doing was going to kill her siren, instead of save her, like they'd planned for...

_We barely got that blood back, and here I am, wasting it away…_

But then, she felt Alphys touch her chest, again, weakly.

Undyne moved to give her air, but Alphys jerked back, instead moving Undyne's hands back to her sides. Her lungs screamed, and her vision was flooded with black spots, but she knew this had to be done, and now.

There was no more looking back. Alphys had decided to see it through, or let it kill her.

Undyne sobbed softly, knowing it was true but feeling so scared...

Carefully, she sank her nails back into Alphys’s sides, and her siren threw her arms around Undyne's neck and buried her face into her shoulder, trembling. She flinched when Undyne's fingers touched the freshly opened wounds, finding them _still_ mostly sealed, and with a shudder of revulsion, she knew she needed more. Undyne concentrated, scratching the skin away faster, until she could finally start on the second set.

Alphys was starting to lose focus, by then. She could feel the pain, feel the familiar agony of it at her flanks, only in a different way. If she actually tried to compare her memories, she knew this hurt _worse_ , especially when she felt Undyne start to pull away long, thin strips of thick, scaled skin from all four newly-opened cuts...

Both were pretending neither could see those chunks of now-dead skin and scales float to the surface, the sight too macabre to keep focus on...

_Too terrifying…_

Undyne rushed once she started to feel almost unnaturally smooth skin, beneath the cords and patches of scar tissue she continued to rip away, choking on the bloody water a little. When she felt Alphys begin to grow heavier, she panicked, and scrabbled her fingers over the rest, rushing with desperation, now.

Undyne was blown away. It was like peeling the layers of a water-parsnip, or a human onion, or even like shucking stubbornly wiggling snails, and at last, she finally found them.

The long-hidden, smooth skin parted and almost... unfurled, blossomed, became _free_ – _that_ was the truest word. 

It was true.

Undyne had done it.

The newly sliced-apart skin bled, still, but the burning red ruffles of skin were brought to the surface, revealing what was almost painfully familiar to Undyne, herself, despite expecting never to see such a thing on anyone else, ever.

Gills. Identical to her own.

_Alphy has gills!_

“Alphy,” she called, then, quickly waving the gunk from her hands before using them to pull Alphys backwards, out of the cloud of gore and back to the ground. She held Alphys an armslength away from her, to get a better look at her, and…

Alphys's eyes were closed, and to Undyne's woe, not only was her mouth open; there was a thin thread of blood that floated from between parted lips. Her body was limp, and when Undyne touched her face, her eyelids didn't even flicker.

“Alphy?” she croaked out, shaking her face a little. “Alphy, hey! _Alphys_! Oh god, no, _no_ \--!!”

Quickly, Undyne brought Alphys's face to hers and kissed her, quickly parting, then sealing, Alphys's lips to her own.

With shaky breaths, Undyne drew the water from Alphys's lungs, choking several times on the blood and bits that accompanied the taste of the water; she had to pull away several times, spitting out blood and… _other_ stuff... and didn't know how long it took. 

Undyne refused to stop. As long as Alphys was still solid before her and in her arms, she was able to be revived, and she wasn't going to stop until it happened.

“Please, Alphy!” Undyne sobbed after the fourth time. “You haven’t…. _we_ haven’t…! _Alphy!”_

The fifth time, however, something happened. Undyne breathed in as much clear air as she could, crying between each breath, still having trouble breathing, herself, from the blood in the water, but she didn't care.

Not until Alphys finally reacted.

She went stiffened, her body starting to seize and jerk, and when she tried to breathe, bubbles and blood left from between her lips - and newly-opened gills. Her _mind_ was still drowning, still feeling agony, still unsure of when or where she actually was…

But then, Undyne said what she needed to hear, even as she began to die, again.

_“Alphy, don't breathe with your nose or mouth!!”_

That confused Alphys at first, her confusion lasting seconds while feeling eternal. Her whole body burned with pain and oxygen starvation, knowing only blood and bits and suffocation...

Until Undyne said that seemingly strange thing.

Those words not only unlocked the door she'd been trying to unlock for days, now, but a door that also reopened a room that had been hidden from her…

_…for fifteen years…_

Though Alphys's eyes remained closed, the second she breathed, her hands flailed, still consumed by horrible pain…

Undyne took hold of her, pulling her back into her lap, and Alphys curled against her, shivering from shock and recovery, still somethings choking and coughing up dark blood and… _more_   _bits_ … that were best ignored for now.

Undyne sank back down onto her knees and held Alphys tightly against her, pulling her careful into her lap, kissing her face over and over and crying, saying her nickname every second breath, the others used for kisses...

Alphys used these wonderful sensations to get her senses back, her eyes closed and her face hiding back into the comforting curve of Undyne's neck, kissing there, once, before she relaxed. She felt Undyne crying, felt her rocking them both, and she smiled weakly, unaware of such a sublime feeling until now…

Undyne hesitated. She needed to do something, to make sure that everything was still okay, but it involved… _touching_ … and she knew how it would feel for Alphys.

But she knew she still had to double-check, for Alphys's health and safety,, so she shoved her shyness away, moving her hands back to Alphys's sides.

On both sides, two to each, were slits, cut deeply within Alphys's flanks. The other three jagged, uneven and unnatural lines no longer stuck out more than the rest, these ones bright red and rather distracting. Now that they'd been cut free, they spread open almost... _sensually_ , those slowly flapping lines of skin rippling open and closed, bubbles of both air and blood still escaping from them.

Undyne moved her finger over each gill, making sure they were cleaned completely and no longer blocked. Alphys felt it - and went still in Undyne's arms, her eyes snapping open and her tail curling into a tight, shaking spiral. She blushed, then peered up at Undyne and found that _she_ was blushing, too, even deeper than Alphys, one that worsened with each touch and slide of the tip of her fingertips over and between two smooth flaps of ruffly, crimson skin, ones that opened and closed, _inhaled and exhaled…_

Undyne then pulled her hands away and hugged Alphys, instead, so tight that she squeaked out a cloud of pink, but Undyne simply kissed her shoulder and hugged harder.

She was shaking, almost as badly as Alphys. It made sense. She had, after all, just sliced open her dear siren's sides.  _She_ hadn't known there were gills hidden under there. She'd been terrified of missing, or cutting in the wrong place, or somehow burying them deeper underneath…

But it was clear, now. They had itched, because they were trying to open on their own, but because her skin was so thick, it was impossible.

Once Undyne was able to finally accept that yes, they _were_ gills, and that no, she _hadn't_ just murdered her true love, she started coming back down from that terror, and started to realise what this actually _meant_.

Alphys remained quiet and still in her lap, her eyes closed as she focused on this new part of her brain and body, surprised that she didn't even have to try, anymore, to make them breathe: once was all she needed to start with to make them work by instinct.

Well, that, and Undyne.

 _“Holy fuck, Alphy,”_ Undyne sobbed out suddenly, burying her face into Alphys's shoulder once more, wrapping her arms around her and holding her to herself. Alphys smiled, could feel her cheeks hurting, but she still didn't know it. She could only feel her tears, unstoppable, now, after such a scary, risky guess...

Alphys smiled wider, unable to do much else, as with every breath she took in, especially given the healing properties of the water, she felt _better_. She floated between acceptance and incredulity, confusion and understanding, as with this, the pieces had finally fallen into place.

Well, almost.

Alphys still had no idea why it had happened in the first place. She still didn't understand why her mother had injured her, or why she ordered the gills to be stitched up, too.

Unless… that _was_ the plan.

Unless... Alpha had _wanted_ her gills to be sewn up.

Unless... she'd clawed up her sides to ensure that they _would_ be sewn together and made useless.

_But why? Why did she want to cover it up?_

_It proved that it worked._

_It proved that it was_ possible.

It proved Gaster right.

_So then, why…?_

“Alphy.”

Alphys shivered, opening her eyes and raising her head, just as Undyne did the same.

Suddenly, both were aware of each other's bodies, especially without the threat of drowning. Granted, the water was still a _little_ gross, but thanks to Undyne's strangely prescient foresight, the soap bombs' effects still floated in the water, working slowly to make it vanish, using both chemical and magic to purify it.

 _I'm breathing...?_  Alphys thought, just as she looked up – and started coughing a little, bringing up something bloody-tasting but spitting out more than just blood...

Undyne winced, trying to wave it away, but Alphys stopped her, instead closing her hand around a particularly large chunk.

It was scar tissue. She was coughing up old blood and scar tissue.

 _And I’m breathing like I never have, before,_ she realised, her eyes wide.

_I've… I don't remember a time that I’ve breathed so easily._

_Like I don't have asthma—_

_Oh..._

_I_ never _had asthma._

_It was the scar tissue._

_It spread to my lungs and my throat._

Of _course_ ; healing spells accelerated healing. If her skin was going to heal into scar tissue, then of _course_ it would spread quickly enough to hurt her in that way.

_And it worsened every year. because it grew more and more, whenever I needed to be healed._

_Only now, because the blockage is gone, the scar tissue is dissolving... forever..._

Alphys spat out more with a shudder, just as Undyne repeated her name, and asked if she was okay. She looked up at her and nodded.

Undyne froze, shocked to see such an expression upon her siren's face: coy gratitude. She placed her palms upon Undyne's chest and closed her eyes, but Undyne stopped her from using her magic by covering her hands.

“Alphy,” Undyne whispered. “I love you.”

Alphys raised up a hand, using the single sign for ‘I love you' in return, but Undyne covered it, and pressed it into a fist. Alphys looked upset, but Undyne smiled.

“Say it,” Undyne replied. “Pretend you're laughing, or trying to speak. Like at the abyss."

Alphys rendered, biting her lip. She shook her head, patting Undyne's chest with her other hand, but Undyne shook her head.

“Try,” was all she said.

Alphys frowned, coughing a few times in hopes that to clear her throat would make speech possible.

Would it? She barely remembered _how_ , save doing it by accident; didn't Undyne want to learn sign language…?

Alphys then looked up at Undyne and felt love stab her in the heart, and she nodded, looking away shyly. She hid her face back into Undyne's shoulder, and Undyne chuckled, uncrossing her legs and helping Alphys kneel between them. She did, blushing redder, and when Undyne curved her hand around her red cheek, Alphys giggled.

It was a surprise, because neither had expected nor planned for it.

Alphys had been trying to say Undyne's name, but had been tickled by her touch, and couldn't help it.

It didn't matter: they both heard it, but not like they had, before, in the dream: a tiny, raspy sound, one deceptively minute.

In all fairness, that still would have been enough for Alphys, really. She would have been satisfied with any way to speak, even if it were a barely-coherent smudge of a sound.

But _this_ giggle was _nothing_ like the others they'd heard.

Undyne's face went stunned, her face going crimson – and so did Alphys, the second she heard it, too.

It was a _real_ laugh. It burst free from her belly and spilled from her parted lips, flooding her mouth and lungs with water but without a death sentence attached. It was rich, and higher-pitched than Undyne's.

Alphys didn't recognise it; it was with a voice far deeper than she had ever thought to remember. It was a sound she couldn't even recognise once belonging to her mother, because it hadn't: it was wholly her own.

Undyne, however, recognised that voice. It was the voice she'd heard every single weekday for fourteen years, the same voice that had sung softly and fearfully at first, lonely and eager for company, even if alone.

Hearing it now, like they were, after what they'd just done, struck a deep chord within them both, one shared without knowing it had been so for longer than they could even wish for.

Alphys covered her mouth and looked up at Undyne with embarrassment – until she understood that Undyne's look spoke not of shame, but happy want, missed need.

Undyne grinned at her, just as her eye flooded with tears. Slowly, reaching up to use her hands to touch while she spoke, Alphys tried again, struggling and stammering.

 _“Mmrr… mm…”_ She coughed. _“Mmuuun… Unnnd… dyyyynne..."_  Shekept stopping, surprising herself every time she heard a sound leave her.

Undyne watched and listened eagerly, her ears twitching and her hands on Alphys's shoulders, her thumbs gently brushing over her cheeks at random times. She was grinning, her own cheeks sore from it, but she kept nodding, urging Alphys on.

 _Please don't wake up,_ she begged herself. _Don't wake up until she says what I need to hear…_

“I… _l-luh_ …” Alphys gritted her teeth, her tail twitchy with effort and annoyance. _“Luuhvvuh… yehh...”_

Her eyes filled with tears, and she covered her face with her hands, but when Undyne kissed both, she lowered them, replacing them onto Undyne's cheeks.

“I love you, Alphy,” Undyne said, instead. She hoped that, upon hearing it from her, Alphys would find it easier to say back

And that was why Undyne was indeed the one for her, and Alphys, for her, because she was _right_ : it _did_ help Alphys, because she watched Undyne shape the words, and could mimic them, now.

Though her voice was slurred a little from disuse, every word said cautiously, Alphys finally managed it, just before crying, again.

“I-I-I… _l-lov-vuh_ … y-you, _Unn-d-dynnne_ ….”

She finished with another coughed up gross cloud of yuck.

But Undyne sobbed, not Alphys, before grabbing Alphys's face, wiping the blood away with her thumbs – and kissing her lips, again. Alphys clung to her, pushing herself closer between Undyne's legs, then wrapped her own around her narrow waist.

It forced Undyne to cross her legs, again – and Alphys sat on them.

Undyne grabbed hold of her and kissed back with a growl. Alphys growled back weakly, and Undyne actually cried out, breaking their kiss to get a hold of herself.

_That had been rather... hot…_

Both forgot that sans and Toriel were still waiting for them to come back up, to explain what happened – hell, even to explain the clouds of vanishing blood…

They both forgot all of it.

Now, they had finally come back to where they'd begun, only this time, they'd finally found a way to the other's actual body, one not held back by dreams, or astral carnal connection, or even Gaster, himself.

If anything, they had Gaster to thank for this miracle.

Except that now, Gaster was nowhere near either of their minds.

Only one thing was.

“Alphy,” Undyne hissed out, making Alphys whimper with dismay, a sound heard and thus twice as powerful. “Alphy, please…?  _Alphys, please_ …?"

Alphys nodded, knowing what was being asked of her without even needing to clarify; she knew, because she was about to ask Undyne the same thing, and could still sense her thoughts from their previous soul-mingling...

Indeed.

It didn't matter what it was, now, save that suddenly, with four carefully-aimed slices of nail, Alphys was given a way to have a real future, one beyond this horrible prison, and from within Undyne's arms.

And she didn't even bother looking back.

 _"Yuh..."_ Alphys rasped out, before holding her hands out and signing it: 'You and me, together?'

Undyne's only answer was a kiss - all either needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the games begin.


	39. Detours, Distractions, Desires

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gets NSFW after the last page break.
> 
> And yes: THAT sentence Undyne says to Alphys IS inspired by undertaild's Roleplay comic, and it's a tribute, because that comic was fucking incrediballs and it's a crime that it's no longer on Tumblr or ANYWHERE. So yes. If you recognise the line that she says, you are right: it is from Roleplay, and no, it's not to steal, but to homage with deep love 💚.

All Toriel heard were varying degrees of splashing - and bubbles - then nothing. She worked slowly, on the look-out for later-hidden eavesdropping devices, while also making sure to keep the hangar immaculate. There had been a great deal of mess (a lot of water and random sheets of nonsensical paperwork). 

Toriel was glad for the distractions and working alongside the music, but now, she worried. She worried about why Gaster was letting this happen, and if it were possible for him to believe the lie that, despite all that Gaster had seen for himself, the two now hated each other. She wondered if Alphys would be noticed if she were left behind during the lunch break, hoping that she could give the two at least an hour to themselves.

She no longer underestimated Alphys.

That last one seemed to almost be unrelated, but there was no question that it was the way it is.

Toriel had seen the way Alphys's eyes glinted. She'd seen the way she looked at Undyne, and the way Undyne looked back at her.

She wondered what Gaster had concluded, when he saw their hands were entwined together between hospital beds.

_Does he know there is love? He knows what it looks like._

_Does he sense the connection? He'd seen their hands entwined._

_Has he have a chance to see Alphys scratching at her sides?_

_Sides that had been sewn shut – but too many times – was likely starting to break free?_

_And once that happened, what would that mean?_

_I don't know_ , she thought, sniffling a little. She'd been deeply moved to the soul when she saw the way Alphys and Undyne had treated each other, their love almost reminding her of Asgore and herself, and hoped it would last past the hurdle of Alphys's parentage (without realizing that it already had).

_But what will happen at lunch time, then?_

_Do I leave Alphys behind, and risk getting her caught?_

_Is there a way to lock the doors behind me?_

_Is there a way to distract his gaze away from this hangar?_

_Oh!_

Suddenly, she did have an answer, after all, one she'd encountered the day before, thanks to Alphys and a well-placed cup of soup.

 _Papyrus_. Papyrus's _room_

_Gaster's youngest child, living in this very building, within a room that is part of my routine._

She didn't know exactly which room it was, but she knew that it was here in F-1, and that she probably had cleaned the room millions of times before it became occupied.

 _So then, he'll be in one of the rooms I’ve been told to keep away from,_ she knew for sure, now _. If I spent my lunch break and eat in here, then leave once it's done, I could draw his eye away from the fact that I’m alone – especially once I start looking for his youngest son._

 _And once he sees that, he'll react,_ she hoped, starting to put her stuff away, _he'll leave the room, and won't see anything else._

 _It could still fail_ , she knew. _It might not even be something he'd bother with. He might know I’m trying to divert his attention, especially if he was confused by Alphys's absence from my side…_

_But I must try._

Toriel was tidying up Alphys's cart when she head a series of startling splooshes, as if something heavy had floated up. She looked over, putting her glasses on, and saw some ripples in the water, but not much else.

“Okay,” she said loudly, “I'm going to leave, and try to divert his attention. You are safe. I will be back here if I think he will get here, first.”

No answer, but she wasn't expecting one.

Not after the way they'd looked at each other before disappearing underwater.

She just hoped Alphys was okay, and that she was right: that exposure to Undyne's - _What had sans called it…?_ \- determination, had given her gills, and by sewing them closed, it had given her a strange kind of asthma.

She hoped it worked.

She just hoped she wasn't leaving her best friend to drown to death.

* * *

sans noticed his errors in his notes just in time to rip them up and get rid of them for good, hurriedly writing up new notes as he walked back to his office.

 _“Alphys and Toriel walked in to the hangar, and before I got there, Alphys had apparently caught Undyne’s attention,”_ he wrote quickly _. “They were initially attracted, like before, entranced and hypnotised, but once Alphys touched Undyne's hands like before, both looked uncomfortable. They looked hurt by the discomfort, but since they couldn't talk to each other, Undyne kept asking questions Alphys couldn't answer, and both grew frustrated. I encouraged them both to keep trying, reminding them about what happened, and I offered to leave for privacy. They agreed, Toriel stayed, and I left them. I'll ask Toriel what I missed as soon as I can.”_

With a huge sigh of relief, right after walking into the door, he opened his office and threw himself in, eager for privacy and time to think, to actually think, without being disturbed.

This was also a room that was without a camera, but only because sans had kept destroying them, costing his father money, and Gaster finally gave up, especially after sans _lost_ it the last time.

“You know we _call_ it an office, but it's really my _cell_ ,” he'd snarled, his sockets empty and yet still drilling into his father's. “Why _else_ is there a bed there? Why else is there a _washroom_ attached to it? Why else?! _Give me my privacy!”_

It took a few more explosions, but finally, Gaster kept the cameras out - and when Papyrus returned, - sans made sure he did the same for _that_ room, too. Sure, there was a _chance_ that sans would kill himself while not being watched. But so could Papyrus, and that hadn't stopped him.

Gaster knew that both brothers lived for the other, and knew that if one died, _both_ would.

 _And we all know he'd never let a toy of his disappear without his doing,_  Sans thought, slumping down at this desk and shedding the first draft into confetti.

After he finished the report, he rolled it and stuffed it into a small cylindrical tube, before tossing it into a longer tube, one that disappeared into the ceiling. It sucked up the small tube into the ceiling, then vanished, and sans slumped his forehead to his desk.

For the millionth time, he wished he could escape, and finally be free.

* * *

Gaster was watching the hangar's doors, noting sans's departure mildly, following him to his office before he vanished within it, carrying a notebook with a slouched posture.

He looked around more, and saw that everything was going rather well, so he let himself think.

_Alphys and Undyne...?_

_Hm…_

He hadn't asked Undyne about Alphys _specifically_ for this very day. Seeing Alphys lead the way into the hangar, alongside the way Toriel smiled and helped her through, had again made him regret the lack of camera – but not the plan, itself. He knew that if something went wrong with Undyne, there would be no video proof that it was _his_ fault (as it would most certainly be).

He was always concerned that anyone or anything he'd tested on would eventually rise up and mutiny.

He knew he was hated enough for such a thing. At least, by his _employees_ , anyway.

Outside of this place, the Leader was just and kind, benevolent and selfless.

Once one became an employee, one easily learnt the truth: he was a power-hungry, ambitious and ruthless bastard, and cared for no one but himself.

Almost the truth.

_I loved Alpha._

_And I love Papyrus, now._

_Something_ has _happened_ , Gaster knew for certain, now.

_It's related to what was first done, but how?_

_How did they meet?_

_For how long have they been acquainted?_

All good questions that he'd refused to ask when he'd had the chance, and an even better reason why he _should_ have kept the camera in, but...

_Alas, hindsight._

There were ways to put one back in, to have the hangar emptied for a little while for it to happen, but he knew it would likely be obvious.

She _went back on her word_ , he reminded himself. _You have every right to retaliate in the same fashion, and even in worse ways._

_You have the power, and she does not._

_What are you afraid of?_

_Her._

The answer came easy. It popped right up, before the question had even finished in his own head.

_Undyne?_

_Or Alphys?_

He didn't know, and that was unfortunate.

There was a loud swoosh, followed by a thud, and Gaster sighed, receiving the capsule from the tube and opening it up, knowing it was san’s report.

But he couldn't understand what he was reading. The more he read, the less sense it made, and it alarmed him.

_Did I not see what I saw? Did I not see their connection first-hand?_

_Their hands?_

_They touched, and both were discomfited by what they'd felt?_

_When before, they would never let go?_

He didn't doubt sans; not this time. He would have, even only a year ago, but now, he did not. There was no reason for sans to lie about the two, especially about his own sister, and especially at Papyrus's expense. Even if he _were_  close to Alphys, there was no reason to lie, because he knew what Gaster had seen for himself.

 _Something_ wasn't right. _Someone_ was lying. 

_But which one?_

He frowned, reading the letter, again, until his eyes were drawn away to the screens, when he saw the hangar door open – and saw Toriel leave, pushing her cart out and closing the door behind her.

Gaster eyed her closely. He knew that her expression would validate or invalidate sans's own information, and he needed to make sure he caught it before she edited it for the camera – and he did.

She looked deeply upset, almost disturbed. She hesitated, placing a hand over her heart and wincing – before she suddenly remembered herself, her eyes going nervously to the camera, and pretended to look normal, making her way down the opposite hallway.

Not only had that entire thing thrown Gaster, so had Toriel's actions. She kept stopping at every room, taking the time to clean it if asked to, before moving onto the next.

 _She hasn't bothered to do that herself since Alphys was hired_ , he realised, his eyes glued to her, now. _What is she doing?_

He didn't know, but he watched her, and only her, the entire time.

Which meant that he missed a great deal, a carelessness that would cost him everything.

* * *

They couldn't stop kissing.

Well, alright: they _could_ , and often had to, especially whenever Alphys forgot how to breathe, or had to cough or spit something out. The worst times were when she felt scar tissue clog up her – _I cannot believe this is real,_ she thought – _gills_ , making her choke _both ways_ and grasp for Undyne, needing her help and guidance. 

But even after _all_ _of that,_ they went back to kissing, to holding, to touching: first in complete silence, save soft murmurs or sighs – or confused choking and coughs...

Undyne pulled away when she felt Alphys flinch particularly roughly, one hand scratching at her still-raw and freshly reopened slits of bright red skin, helping her clear more dead and torn skin away.

Once done, Alphys moved back for more kisses, but Undyne stopped, surprising her.

“Alphy,” she murmured. “Listen, I need to say something, before we…” She went scarlet, her heart pounding at the thought. “Uh, go on…”

Alphys nodded, her hands moving away and into her own lap, moving off of her and kneeling back down in front of her. Undyne remained cross-legged, but she reached out and touched Alphys's knees, and that earned her a shy smile.

“Why _do_ you have gills, Alphy?” she asked, bewildered. “Why did they get all sewn up, and why are you all scratched up? Your _mom_ did that? _Why?”_

‘I don't know,’ Alphys replied, to all of it, looking forlorn.

Undyne frowned, examining her face instead of her hands, and it confused Alphys until she remembered that Undyne didn't understand, both what she's signed _or_ what she still needed Undyne to do, and suddenly, she looked _panicked_. She _had_ to explain all of it, _now_ , to make sure Undyne knew all of it, just in case it was needed information during a time without Alphys there  _(why_ , she didn't know, but she trusted her gut).

But she also knew it would take away too much of their time if she tried to write it out...

Undyne smiled, distracting her, and covered Alphys's hands, her eye sparking. “ _Say_ it? Again?”

“… _aayyy_ … dunno…” Alphys stammered, her hands twitching as she spoke.

Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and it startled her, to hear her own voice. It was muffled by the water, and yet it was more musical than she imagined it ever could have been, and now wondered if that was thanks to Undyne, too.

Because the gills certainly were something to be grateful to her for; already she was getting used to breathing with them...

Undyne smiled, lighting up when she heard Alphys speak, and she nodded, squeezing her hands. She felt… _proud_ of Alphys. She’d taken a huge risk with those gills, one that could have _killed_ her - only now, they were _both_ immensely rewarded.

Without that risk, they’d have none of _this_. And now that she had _her_ , Undyne refused to let her go.

“Keep going, Alphy,” Undyne encouraged. “I'm patient. I have time. I want to hear it all. I feel like..." She slid her han through her hair, moving it over her left eye shyly; she never wore the eyepatch underwater. "I feel like I've been _waiting_ to hear it, since this nightmare began... for _both_ of us, even..."

Alphys lowered her eyes, feeling them well up with useless, quickly-vanishing tears. Her own heart hammered, and her throat felt clogged from emotion instead of grossness. She debated using her soul, again, but remembered how tiring it had been.

“I… d-don't kn-know,” Alphys went on. “I w-was in-inje-injected with what G-Gaster stole fr-from you, s-so when I m-m-mutated from i-it. So, b-because _you_ are a fish monster, _I_ got…” She looked helpless. “…fishy?”

Her voice squeaked at the end, and Undyne laughed, a bubble of happiness bursting within her belly. For once, she felt a strange... _peace_ , really, over the experiments she'd suffered from. She felt the affirmation that while harm had come to Alphys from the stuff, it was clearly now paying off.

_And all because Alphy was smarter than her own parents..._

“So when your... mother... attacked you, the docs thought the gills were from her claws, too?” Undyne asked, reaching up and touching Alphys's cheek.

Alphys blinked and nodded, her face falling. She signed something, blushed, but then shrugged. She wasn't sure. Perhaps that was why.

 _Did she...?_ Did _she know they were gills?_ Alphys wondered. _Or did she just... panic?_

“We're connected, me and you,” Undyne said. “When we shared that awesome dream. After, I was there, in your... house?”

Alphys nodded. This time, she signed _and_ spoke. “I saw you in water, but _with_ me. We h-h-held h-hands when we... uh-uh-uhm..." She stammered shyly, her smile crooked as she blushed. 

Undyne blinked, then laughed, again, kissing the tip of Alphys's snout. "When we...?" she agreed, grinning rather coyly at her.

Alphys went scarlet, dismayed that _she_ had to say it. "Wh-wh-when we... c-ca--felt--we..." She closed her eyes and spat it out, then felt happy right after. "When we sh-shared that... or-orgasm..."

Undyne lit up, blushing deeper in delight, and she nodded.

"We'd _hand-fasted..._  wh-wh-when we... c-c-came.” She was crimson by then, stammering over every word, as she'd started shaking at the memory of it. “It connected our souls, and that's because you and I share the same… uh… what is... the word... w-word...  _determination_.”

Undyne was grinning, staring at Alphys as she spoke and signed, amazed to both see and hear the arousal in her voice, something she knew Alphys had no clue about. After fifteen years of speaking without tone, it was difficult for Alphys to control whatever tone she used.

But she was trying. And it meant the world to Undyne.

She _means the world to me..._

“Do you still want to learn how to sign?” Alphys asked nervously. “I don't know if I can speak above water, yet.”

Undyne nodded. “I did promise to figure out how to say ‘Alphy', after all,” she teased. “Plus, sometimes we'll probably need to speak with silence.”

They were words easily said, but they struck Alphys deeply. She looked at Undyne and nodded, smiling brightly, and Undyne grinned back, deciding she'd had enough for information, for now.

Undyne pushed herself up from the floor, stretching herself out so that she was floating on her front, holding hands with Alphys and using them to pull herself closer to her. Alphys caught on and helped, and soon had Undyne's arms around her neck affectionately.

Alphys bit her lip, keeping her hands before her out of habit – until she saw Undyne's expression; they started shaking, before moving them forward. Undyne purred with anticipation, straddling Alphys before Alphys, herself, had to cross her legs to pull Undyne onto her lap.

The second she was settled, Undyne pressed her body against Alphys's, the feel of her soft, warm body making her want to cry. Instead, she pressed her cheek to Alphys's and whispered, _“Touch my gills...?”_

Alphys went hot, not because she understood what it meant – she didn't – but because the tone of voice Undyne used struck her deeply. She held her trembling hands between them, her eyes staring into Undyne's eye with pure confusion, and she quickly signed, her eyes filling with tears.

This time, however, she spoke as she signed, but not precisely what she signed: “Sensitive nervous pain suffocation?!"

Undyne's eye flared, and she felt her throat clog up, because she understood what she was saying - and wasn't saying - and her eyes filled with tears.

 _“God_ , Alphy, you really _are_ someone special, aren't you…?” she whispered, moving her hands up to cup Alphys's face – a beloved, beautiful face, one she adored so much…

Alphys simply looked _more_ confused, with added worry, now, and it really hurt Undyne; it made sans's rude comments come to light, and made her understand that Alphys felt as sans did – _about_ _herself_.

Undyne closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to Alphys's, biting down on her trembling lip hard, about to sob. But she was smiling, her cheeks blooming with happy blush.

Alphys started fidgeting, absolutely bewildered, now.

“Alphy,” Undyne whispered. “I love you.”

Alphys moved quickly, just as Undyne opened her eye, enough to also see as well as hear her say, “Eternal devotion,” alongside a single hand-gesture.

Undyne hugged onto her, using her entire body, again, burying her face into Alphys's soft shoulder. One hand moved over her head, her spines, while her other hand moved back between the two of them.

Alphys was so overwhelmed by the hug but she returned it at once, uttering a soft sob when she did, crying for real, now. She kissed anywhere her lips landed, even as she felt Undyne move her hand to Alphys's side, placing it right above where the suit opened at its side. She sobbed, the sound muffled by Undyne's shoulder, and Undyne shivered, her legs gripping tighter.

The thing about swimsuits was that they were meant to be used as a second skin, as a means of gliding through water with little weight resistance. Therefore, the best ones are thin but durable, allowing the skin to breathe, too.

Gaster was a bastard, but he didn't spare expense, and thanks to that foresight, both Undyne and Alphys benefited from, because they could feel the other's body: the shape, the feel, the scent - Alphys was stunned when she realised she could smell - and Undyne could easily feel Alphys's soft, generous curves, and Alphys could feel Undyne's fit, trim body.

Most of all, however, they could feel each other's body heat, the other's heartbeats, the eagerness, the shaking limbs and raspy breaths, and soon, they barely felt _anything_ between them.

Nothing would come between them, ever again.

Never.

Undyne closed her eye, her smile widening into one of pure delight, and when at the same time, she made her move.

Alphys cried out, her head moving back and her entire body jerking away, her tail straightening out into a shocked line behind her, and she went rigid with it.

She felt her heart stop, felt herself forget how to breathe, to move, to _think_ , because…

… _because_ …

…Undyne's fingertip was now tracing one of Alphys's gills.

Alphys couldn't sign. She couldn't move, and when her eyes went to Undyne's face, she found her echo already grinning at her, raising her eyebrows—

\--before sliding the tip of her tongue over her own lips – _and_ teeth, her eye glittering with need.

 _“Undyne!”_ Alphys suddenly cried out, her fingers twitching, but the words escaped her properly for a change. “That feels _so good_ , what are you _doing_ \--?”

“Touching you,” Undyne whispered, moving her other hand to Alphys's other side, her fingertips starting to trace one of the gills on that side, too - at the same time. “Touching _your_ gills.”

“I have gills, I have _gills_ , oh, _oh_ \--!” Alphys blathered, her eyes huge and her body starting to… _react_ … and it felt so, so, _so_ glorious, like masturbating, like singing in the abyss, like a gentle caress upon her clit…

Undyne moved closer, pushing against Alphys, and she found herself pulled closed, clung onto – and then _bit_ , right into the curve of Undyne's neck. Alphys moaned out long and hard as her teeth sunk in – without breaking skin – and _Undyne_ was the one who cried out, her fingers pressing closer – then lower, to the other two gills, so she stroked all four.

Alphys made a sound like a sob, her body stiffening against Undyne, who looked over Alphys's shoulder and saw that her tail was now a spiral, shaking and held close to her body – like it had been when they'd shared that orgasm, and Alphys sang her sweetest notes…

Now, Alphys was almost singing, already, crying out without words, unable to think, anymore. She felt on the edge of orgasm - only to be pulled away – and then brought back to the brink... again... again...

And it felt _intoxicating_...

Undyne couldn't help it, anymore; she started weeping, as covertly as possible, especially when she felt Alphys start to actually shift her body against Undyne's, her bites moving along Undyne's neck and shoulder, growling from deep within her chest and throat. Undyne moved her fingers closer, and Alphys _groaned_ , her whole body starting to tremble and grow hot. 

This was nothing like those duets.

Alphys was a fool to think those duets were _anything_ like this, and they weren't even naked, yet. She wanted Undyne. She _needed_ Undyne. She felt embarrassed that she was so amorous, but this was a dream literally come true, and she refused to let it abandon her, like everything else that was good in her life...

She tried to speak, then, but Undyne spoke instead, and the second she understood what she was being asked, Alphys nodded, her face breaking into a grin that rivaled Undyne's.

Undyne had murmured, “Please make love with me, Alphy? Right here, right now? Right as we are? And... for real, Alphy? Make love with me…?”

"Yes," Alphys sobbed, nodding and clinging onto her tight, before kissing her, again. Undyne returned it with a hungry growl, laughing briefly between kisses, and she nodded in return.

So, they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes: the next chapter is ONLY for them, and for their lovemaking. If it makes you squick, it's easy to skip, but I later imagine most of you have been waiting 39 chapters for this precise moment. 
> 
> I hope I live up to it. :)


	40. The Siren and Her Echo (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words.
> 
> Also, NSFW.

Undyne didn't know that Alphys was trying to speak. All she knew was how to kiss her lips, instead, finding that words were stupid if they could kiss, instead. All she could think about was this kissing, who she was kissing, and the feel of said kissing.

But when Alphys pulled back, gently giving Undyne's chest a nudge, it woke her up, and the kissing stopped, perplexed by Alphys's expression: she looked suddenly very frightened, as if forced to say something she knew would be taken poorly, and wished she didn't have to, but did. Undyne felt nervous, worried she was about to stop, and was completely unprepared.

“Undyne…” Alphys stammered, after she tried to sign it, and Undyne covered her hands with a patient smile. “I've… I’m…” She looked mortified, and she felt panic snake through her, her mind racing.

_Oh god oh god oh god this is bad this is bad she's gonna leave I hate myself why am I like this why is it hard she knows probably but this is—_

“Alphy?” Undyne called, touching her pink cheek.

Alphys jumped, both eyes going to her one, and she opened her mouth, stammering a bit, starting to cry.

 _“Haven't,”_ she croaked out, before she covered her face with her hands, trying to bite back her tears.

“You haven't what?” Undyne wondered, thrown so far away that she felt dizzy. “What's wrong?”

Alphys shook her head, staring up at her with disbelief.

_She doesn't get it? She doesn't understand? Am I wrong…?_

Alphys was being vague, true, but she thought she was also being quite obvious, given the circumstances. Her cheeks heated up again, and she signed her answer, before waiting for her answer, making it clear that it was a question.

'You and me, together?'

“Yes. Our songs,” Undyne replied easily – still misunderstanding. To her, they'd been lovers for over a decade and a hald, after all, and thought that Alphys was clarifying it. But Alphys hadn't meant it that way, and she bit her lip and flinched. She looked back up at Undyne, who looked back with worry, and tried to speak.

“I'm… uh… not…” She gestured her hands over her belly, then above and below it, before letting them drop at her sides. “And my face isn't…” She sighed, looking miserable. “I'm… I’ve never done this... I'm… you c-can see wh-why, b-but…”

She trailed off, because Undyne's expression had changed, and it confused her – and almost worried her. 

Undyne looked _angry_ , her eye flicking away and glazing over with that anger, before closing it tight and gritting her teeth.

 _I hate you, sans,_ Undyne thought, wanting to cry. _She_ does _know what they think of her._

_She even believes it…_

Alphys shrank down a little, her hands going back up and between them, averting her face and closing her eyes, feeling herself start to shake with both humiliation and despair. But when Undyne touched her face, her hands were soft; perhaps she wasn't angry, after all. This was confirmed when their eyes met, again, and Undyne's glittered back to life, unable to control it.

To her, Alphys was _beautiful_ , and she was having trouble keeping her hands to herself this entire time. But now, she wondered if it was exactly the wrong thing to, and instead, she started moving them over Alphys, from her cheeks, to her neck, to her shoulders…

Alphys just watched her, frozen in place and barely remembering to breathe, every drop of blood vacating and relocating mostly between her legs and to her breasts, making her heart race and her mind haze with pure, affectionate lust. Each place Undyne touched went pink, and Alphys felt her caress with mixed feelings.

Undyne was enjoying that it clearly felt good to Alphys, and that she was aroused, further increasing her own arousal. But she was dismayed, too: Alphys was clearly bewildered by Undyne's affection, both physical and emotional, and all Undyne wanted was to make Alphys see herself the way _she_ did.

Once already, they almost had, when they'd connected souls. They'd parted quickly to preserve energy, but Undyne remembered the pure joy Alphys had felt for Undyne – one that was alongside pure disgust for herself.

“Alphy,” Undyne whispered, her palms pressing together over Alphys's heart, feeling it beat.

Alphys looked up, reaching up and touching Undyne's forearms with a nod.

“I think everyone who's ever met you is fucking _stupid_.”

That seemed so out of nowhere that Alphys choked out a laugh, before tugging Undyne's hands back up to her cheeks. Her tail swayed a little, and Undyne rubbed those reddish cheeks with a smile.

“I cannot believe that you haven't had to kick everyone away from you,” Undyne went on, and Alphys sighed, rolling her eyes. “ _Nobody_ , Alphy? Really? You're lying to me…?”

She hoped so.

But Alphys shook her head, her entire countenance falling to one of sadness and shame. “Too ugly,” she muttered, her hands loosening their hold upon Undyne's.

 _This_ has _to be over, now,_ she understood. _She wants someone experienced, like her. She wants someone who knows what they're doing--?!_

For a moment, right after that thought, Alphys had no memory. She remembered speaking, feeling horrible, before she suddenly found herself breathless and pressed hard against the floor and on her back, with Undyne pinning her down to the bottom of the pool and straddling her.

Alphys squirmed a little, trying to get away at first, feeling too gross to be touched like this (despite wanting to be touched very much), before she stopped.

 _Look at her_ , she demanded of herself, once realised she would never escape – because neither she nor Undyne wanted her to. _Look into her face. Look at that expression._

Alphys did, her shyness making it feel like one of the most difficult things she'd ever done in her life. Undyne stared back, her eye gleaming with emotion – _affection_ – and Alphys calmed her mind. She didn't want to escape – not at all – but wanted to give Undyne the chance to.

 _She doesn't want it,_ her mind forced her to see. _She_ _wants_ you.

It was that thought that got to Alphys, and instead of trying to escape, she sought to try and get more comfortable where she now was, her heart skipping several times whenever their bodies touched in any way. After the third attempt (she was being too shy), Undyne helped, and in no time, they'd changed this sudden pounce into something soft and comfortable.

But why had there been a pounce in the first place?

“Alphys,” Undyne said, her hands holding Alphys's shoulders hard. “sans told me that you were abused growing up, and later, here, and he claimed he knew why. He was cruel, and I wanted to kick his ass for _lying_ to me.”

Alphys didn't get it, and she tilted her head to one side, like she’s seen Undyne do so often, finding that it actually helped with her focus.

Undyne blushed deeply when she saw Alphys do that, knowing why, and was deeply flattered, no, too. “I've always known how you look, and I saw that you were beautiful from day one! And the kind of beautiful that isn't just about looks, but _guts_ , too. However…”

And here, she grinned rather hungrily. “Holy hells, are you oblivious to your own hotness!”

Alphys blushed, smiling a little at how that was phrased. She liked the way Undyne spoke, her mannerisms, slang, and idioms, and loved that she appeared rough and gruff, like a dumb jock, she was actually brilliant, and just chose to utilise that brilliance however she pleased.

“I don't lie,” Undyne added, disarmed by that smile and needing more. “Okay, fine, I lie to the assholes, here. But not to people I care about and respect. There is no one I care about or love more than you, Alphy. Here, or anywhere else."

Alphys covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes closing. Her other hand went between Undyne's breasts, over her heart – and was shocked to find it faster than her own. Undyne appeared cool and calm, but was clearly as nervous and emotionally invested into this as Alphys was.

“When I first saw you, Alphys, I saw your beauty,” she went on, starting to caress Alphys's face, again. “All I had to see with was a beat-up old telescope for a while, but I was just…” She looked dizzy for a moment. “I was just struck stupid by how  _stunning_ you were – and are.”

Alphys was the one struck, now – into silence.

Nobody had ever said such things to her, before.

Nobody had even implied she could ever expect to hear such words in her lifetime, and she’d accepted that truth.

Only to have it obliterated by one sentence.

Undyne continued. “When I first saw you for real, when you fainted and needed that tubey thingie, I almost fainted, too. I was so scared, Alphy…”

Alphys shook her head, but Undyne held her face still with a slight smirk, despite the subject, and Alphys frowned. She didn't want to be teased, and least of all by Undyne. How could someone smile while saying _that?_

Except… the longer Undyne went on, the more Alphys began to find herself… _believing_ her. Or at least, believing that she thought Alphys pretty, even when she clearly was not, for real...

“Alphy…” Undyne whispered, her words vanishing like bubbles between her lips. She felt her entire body flash hot, felt Alphys react and warm up, too, and though she needed more, she knew that _this_ was more important, right now.

But then, Alphys reached between them and made a gesture, one before her face, before pointing to Undyne, her face red and her smile shy. Undyne tilted her head, and Alphys did it again, nodding.

Then, she added, barely above a whisper, “ _You_ are so _g-gorgeous_ , Undyne...”

Undyne stared at her. No one had ever said that to her, before, _ever_ – just like Alphys. People saw Undyne, saw how she looked, and came to their own conclusions about her: a brainless, violent killing machine. It made her so angry that she often decided to prove them right, to punish them for assuming her to be that way – while being that way in the process.

Missing the point, perhaps. But understandable.

So to see, then hear, such a thing from anyone was stupid. But to hear it from Alphys, who, herself, was gorgeous, a word that went far beyond beautiful, or even just pretty, was _asinine_.

And it made her burst into tears.

Because for the first time, Undyne realised that Alphys _wasn't_ just being nice. Even though she was covered in scars from both the experiments and her own painful training regiments; even though she had very sharp, crooked and stained teeth; even though she tended to be rough when touching people…

_Even though that bastard exploded my eye, right within my own fucking skull…_

Still, Alphys stared at her, stunned to find Undyne looking back at her, like she looked at Undyne.

Their eyes met, and both felt it at the same time: something snapped between them, something already frayed – and in silence, both lunged for the other. They kissed, their lips bumping painfully into teeth, but that settled once both figured out how to fix it.

Undyne pushed herself up onto her hands, keeping her head lowered, and she shifted, digging her knees into the floor and tightening her hold around Alphys's generous hips with her long, slender legs. Alphys uttered a soft sound, her eyes closing and her breaths catching, and Undyne felt her stomach flip with arousal.

Their lips parted, tongues touching, and Alphys found herself mystified. She had water in her mouth, in her lungs and throat, but she could – well, sort of – breathe fine, and she was already used to it.

 _No_ , Alphys corrected. _I'm used to it, with her…_

She reached up and pulled Undyne down flatter against herself, something that caused Undyne to scrabble at the floor with her hands, trying to keep her weight off of Alphys, but… Alphys felt no weight, not even when Undyne's arms did give out. She felt a soft pressure, but nothing crushing.

It felt… nice.

Undyne closed her eye, pushing her brain away and pushing her body back down. She knew now that Alphys was a virgin, just like she was (though Alphys did not know that) and now that she knew, she wanted to make this as perfect as possible, for them both.

 _In case we only get this one chance_ , she thought darkly.

Alphys slid her arms around Undyne's neck, her fingers combing through the cloud of hair above them both. She opened her eyes, and it made Undyne look like she had a bloody halo, one strangely beautiful, despite being a touch macabre…

Undyne sat up just a little, still keeping their lips locked, and reached up, taking hold of her bathing top and starting to peel it off. She almost had it until it bumped into both of their chins. Both yelped, Undyne biting her own lip, while Alphys bit her own tongue.

For a moment, there was a great deal of silly whining and indignation, until Alphys suddenly reached up, smiling – and pulled Undyne's top up higher. Since she was unprepared, the top got stuck halfway through, and she struggled to pull herself free with a great deal of snarling.

After a moment, she felt Alphys help her, again, and in another moment, she was free of it, and could finally see and breathe at last—

\--only to forget how.

In that pause, while Undyne was trapped and blinded by her top, Alphys had reached up and pulled her own arms free of her suit – though she did keep it over her nipples, just in case, while keeping the rest visible). Seeing her bare skin made Undyne go still, her whole body pulsing with heat.

She had so much she wanted to say, especially when she watched Alphys's eyes go over her breasts – something she admittedly blushed over, but was also rather proud about – but words didn't want to make sense to her, right now. Not when faced with the dilemma of what laid beneath Alphys's suit…

Alphys couldn't breathe, and she tried. Undyne had no idea how beautiful she was; that was clear in how she reacted upon seeing her gaze. She boasted, but it was with doubt, one hand shaking going to her left eye for a moment, fear flashing over her face.

Alphys quickly leaned up and pulled Undyne's hand away, then replaced it with her lips, closing her eyes and holding Undyne's cheeks, keeping her still. She touched skin, smooth and uneven, ragged and healing, still, but it felt warm and tasted salty, and thus she knew that Undyne wept. She kissed there a second time, lingering, and Undyne sobbed, hugging onto Alphys for a moment, overwhelmed and a little scared by it.

It was then that Alphys had an idea. She knew that Undyne was having trouble speaking, too, especially the closer they got, but she remembered never feeling like _this_ at any time within their duets. She was scared, too, and didn't like it. She wanted it to be like it had been, already, for as long as they'd known each other...

So, carefully, she pulled her face away, buried it into the top of Undyne's head (her hair curled and tickled her face in the most pleasant way), and closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Undyne's head, hugging it gently, before she took a huge breath – and a huge leap.

Alphys began to sing.

Undyne's eye snapped open, her whole body going rigid, again, but she clung to Alphys, and suddenly, they soon found themselves floating up from the floor, so that Alphys could hold Undyne to herself while she sang.

Alphys didn't listen at first, too afraid that to do so would ruin everything, and make herself face failure. She hadn't known that she could sing at all, let along songs that could be heard underwater.

To suddenly be able to speak underwater, and that included being able  _sing_ underwater and actually _hear_  it for herself…

It meant that she finally got to hear what Undyne had listened to, had grown attached to, had fallen in love with…

Her voice was high, not soprano-like, but just a touch higher than alto. The notes were wordless, more syllable than lyric, but each note held a picture, and – like with sign language – Alphys knew how to manipulate those sounds like a pro.

But when she heard the sound of her own voice, and realised such a sound was herself, she shut up, her eyes flaring open and her whole body going still, when before, it had swayed in time with her music, a motion that had calmed Undyne's heart and soothed her fears…

 _“That's me…?”_ Alphys whispered, one hand touching her lips, her eyes unfocused.

Undyne looked up at her, as her cheek had been pressed against the hollow of Alphys's throat the entire time, her ear right where she could hear her song best.

Alphys looked back down, her other hand holding onto Undyne's back, and when she saw Undyne staring back, she blushed deeply.

“Yes,” Undyne agreed softly. “That's what I heard, Alphy. That's what you sound like. That's what I fell in love with…”

With that, Undyne felt her fear vanish. She _knew_ that voice, knew what those notes meant, and knew she no longer had any reason to fear. She smiled, closing her eye and pressing her cheek back upon Alphys – but this time, she gently pulled down the front of her suit, and, with her eye still closed, nuzzled the space between her breasts – and returned Alphys's first verse, her arms going around Alphys's waist tighter, her smile so wide it hurt.

Alphys went still, her eyes wide and her whole body reacting - flushing hot and turning skin red while breaking into a sweat - the second she understood what she was hearing. She moaned softly, her eyes then rolling up and closing, as she'd missed the sound, missed it so much that her eyes filled with tears, and without pause, found herself replying, the second she could.

Undyne shivered, her voice wavering as she felt Alphys gently untangle the top of Undyne's suit from her hair, letting it float to the bottom, and Undyne purred in mid-note, picking their duet right back up again the second she could. She felt Alphys press her nose to the top of her head, again, and she closed her eye, her whole body starting to feel… _everything_ …

Alphys was trembling, barely aware of her own actions until they were over, and was therefore shocked to suddenly come back to herself slowly sliding out of the rest of her suit, feeling Undyne pull away only enough to give her the space. She had barely paused between notes, as Undyne moved with her, their eyes often locking whenever a thought was shared – and acted upon. She not only helped Alphys remove her suit, but practically begged Alphys to do the same to her own.

And then, quite suddenly, both were naked, _finally_ naked, and their eyes had only found the other's, not once drifting to other places, no matter how desperately they both wanted to see, to touch…

_But first…_

Alphys raised her hands up, and Undyne took them, her eye darting between Alphys's, as she remained locked on hers. They both stopped their duet for a moment, allowing the final notes to curl around them, allowing both to accept what reality was showing them.

Neither knew who started it, but both pulled the other to herself, and both met the other's lips without pause or fail.

Now, the song had truly begun.

**END OF PART FOUR**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is the end of this part.
> 
> No, this isn't the end of the sex. 
> 
> Sorry. It got too long and I had to split it. Turns out, it works better this way. Who knew?


	41. To Live, To Love (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apparently lost a lot of readers with that last part, pffft. This is why I never bookmark fics until I complete them. Don't toy with the author ;_;!
> 
> Bahaha, you thought that was it for the sex? No. Here's the rest. Enjoy.

** PART FIVE: DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I WANT THIS, TOO? **

Alphys slid her arms around Undyne's neck, while Undyne's hands went back to Alphys's sides, her fingers lightly tracing those still-tender lines. Alphys squeaked against Undyne's lips, and her legs floundered, then found one of Undyne's. She hooked both around its firm thigh, her hands going to Undyne's face to keep kissing her, and Undyne gasped, reaching down and grabbing hold of one of Alphys's legs, finding a similar hold of her own, with her own, and...

Alphys's eyes went huge, then, and she almost jerked away, from both shyness and shock. It was imperfect friction, but it was still _something_ , and she shivered, her hands starting to tremble. She felt her tail curl up, but barely cared, suddenly desperate to look down, to look _closer_ , to look and... _touch_ …

Undyne was not as far ahead, instead looking nervous and doubtful. When she opened her mouth, a small trill of confused song escaped her. She felt beloved hands touch her face, pulling her eyepatch off to properly kiss each of her eyes, and she instead sobbed, trying to kiss back but missing, settling instead for expressing herself with a few sharp, teasing bursts of music, a song begun in time with their bodies' sensual movements...

Alphys smiled, then, before suddenly pushing herself back, taking hold of Undyne's hands and keeping them, so that they held each other at armslength while keeping their legs and bodies entwined. While she settled, Alphys meekly sang out how she felt: shy of showing herself, but eager to see Undyne… only to fall silent once she had… and wishing Undyne liked what she saw, too…

Alphys couldn't help that vanity, no matter how hard she tried, especially before someone so... _beautiful_. While it was true that her swimsuit had left little to the imagination, what was revealed, now, proved that her imagination had simply not been good enough to come up with what she was seeing _now_.

Like her lips, gills, and ears, Undyne's nipples were crimson; her skin was a gorgeous, iridescent cobalt, and though it showed the damages of being hurt and experimented on, it also showed how hard she worked on keeping herself fit - and strong - enough to fight, whenever she could. Her limbs were long, lanky, and yet oddly graceful, even on land...

And then, the best part: between long, shapely legs was a thatch of red curls. It was darker than the hair on her head, alongside softer, thinner reddish hairs upon her legs and arms, and thicker, too.

Alphys's eyes became fixated, and Undyne took that chance to look at her – only to feel faint the longer she did.

Undyne didn't care what anyone said, or what TV and radio and magazines insisted, or about any of that useless bullshit. She cared only about what her heart told her. When she looked upon Alphys, upon her fleshy, round, and scarred body, her dark yellow nipples and large breasts, her short, thick legs and big, thick-soled feet, her long tail and spiny head…

_...And her eyes, her gorgeous, rainbow-prism eyes, behind glasses that make 'em look bigger and brighter…_

And all Undyne saw was beauty, of the purest form.

Alphys uttered a soft sound, then, one of fearful questioning, and her fingers twitched in Undyne's hands, clearly trying to sign. Undyne squeezed her hands and softly sang over that note, harmonising so easily that she could do it in her sleep.

But her answer, of course, was the right one.

Alphys closed her eyes, then slowly let herself sink back down. She had no idea _how_ she knew how to do it, just that her body was telling her how, and Undyne followed, uttering a soft sound of protest, not wanting to part. Alphys didn't, either, and she made it clear - by pushing Undyne back down to the floor of the pool, and keeping their legs as they were. Both shifted, feeling varying degrees of promising sensations, and Alphys watched Undyne, waiting patiently for her to continue - or to be told to continue.

Undyne went scarlet, shocked when she understood what Alphys thought, and she quickly shook her head, laughing incredulously. Alphys frowned, and Undyne recognised that expression: it was the same one she knew she, herself, had made when thinking about others not seeing how beautiful Alphys was. It surprised Undyne, though later she wondered why, as Alphys had made it clear from the start that she found Undyne desirable.

_~Even before meeting you, I knew you were beautiful, Undyne…~_

Undyne jumped, both realising that she was being straddled and that Alphys had not spoken, but had sung her words, and she understood them – and tried to sing back, succeeding easily.

_~The second I saw you, I loved you…~_

When Alphys clung to her and uttered a soft whimper, Undyne knew she had been understood, and she smiled and hugged back. The feel of Alphys against herself, the closeness of herself against Alphys… All had clearly been accidental, but now that they were touching, both hesitated before doing anything else, neither wanting to move, instead wanting to _experience_ it.

It felt  _wonderful,_  the feeling of bare skin against soft, fuzzy skin, within the embrace of gentle, healing, almost purifying waters.

Both felt a kind of healing from within the other's embrace that came only from themselves.

Undyne's hair tickled Alphys's nose, and Alphys's tail curled around one of Undyne's shins, but they didn't move for quite some time, even when both began to arouse the other, more and more, by simply being in intimate contact with each other.

Because it was _glorious_.

Their eyes remained locked, but Alphys felt her control dissolve, like the skin that Undyne had sliced away from her sides, floating above them before becoming nothing but specks against the rim of the pool…

Alphys leaned down and kissed Undyne upon her lips, and Undyne grabbed her closer and kissed back, growling and arching her back up, so that she rubbed her breasts - and thus, her nipples - against Alphys's.

It was a feeling that thrilled them both, as suddenly, with better understanding, they now knew what to do.

Alphys slid her tail down, before tightening it and pulling, bringing Undyne's leg closer to her flesh, and she hiccupped, feeling a nudge of pleasure. Undyne murmured in return, her eye rolling up, as she had felt that, too – and in the same way – and wanted more. She shifted her legs, before frowning a little and breaking their kiss.

Alphys froze, her default reaction when coming up against something she lacked the answers to, but Undyne smiled, and she bit her lip. Carefully, Undyne reached between them, shifting her legs and Alphys's. It didn't take long, but when she'd settled, Alphys was straddling her around her narrow hips, and her own long legs were parted but slightly elevated, keeping her feet flat but her legs only slightly bent at the knees.

Alphys became rigid, her heart racing and her mind completely gone, because the way they were now reminded her of one thing, alone – because Undyne had planned it that way, remembering what she'd seen Alphys do when they'd connected: straddling her favourite pillow.

Only this was so much better. This spoilt pillows for Alphys forever, as she knew that nothing would ever be better than _this_. She kept still, because she knew that if she began to move, like her body kept screaming at her to do, she wouldn't be able to stop, not until she'd climaxed. She was afraid it would take too long, or it would be boring or gross for Undyne, or…

Suddenly, her mind went silent, and _her_ eyes rolled up, her hands grabbing hold of Undyne's shoulders. She hissed out bubbles, but when Undyne did it again – shifted her hips up while moving Alphys's hips down to meet her – Alphys lost her mind. She sat up, her claws digging into Undyne's shoulders, and she adjusted herself to press both lower and closer, shocked by how good even _that_ felt. 

Alphys opened her eyes, just as Undyne grinned, and this time, when Undyne moved, Alphys moved with her.

 _It shouldn't feel this good,_ Alphys protested, even as her body ignored her and kept going, feeling that pleasure begin to build with each thrust forward _. It shouldn't, but it does, it's so good…_

Undyne's eye was shut, unable to open it, worried that if she did, she would come too early, and she didn't want that. She had already nearly done so, several times, whenever she got a good look at Alphys – her face, her body, her _presence_ – and it was _maddening_. Alphys was rubbing right along her clit, pressing down upon it in just the right way, and Undyne had never felt _anything_ like it, before. She’d only used her hands; she'd never even thought of using anything else, but now understood why Alphys would choose a pillow.

Undyne was glad, too, because when Alphys moved, she could tell it was with ease, with knowledge of her own body, and while she believed Alphys's declaration, she still had trouble _accepting_ it.

The way Alphys made love with Undyne was nothing at all like their songs. It was what those duets had always promised, but without being even remotely close to emulating it to perfection.

Alphys started weeping, her head hunched forward and her eyes closed tight, forcing herself to slow down, despite her body's insistence on speed. She wanted to savour this – savour _Undyne_ – and she knew finishing too soon would ruin all of that. She felt so close already, and she felt herself become clumsy when trying to hold it back, or to make it start over, but…

Undyne suddenly reached up and grabbed hold of Alphys's face, and Alphys murmured nonsense and leaned into it, slowing them both down more, just in case. Undyne smiled, her heart soaring, and another careful grind from Alphys, one that brought them both pleasure.

Undyne finally opened her eye. Alphys had her head forward, her eyes shut tight and her teeth clenched, her face bright red. Undyne pressed her hand closer, and Alphys reached up with one of her own and held it in place, even while Undyne's other hand remained upon her hip, guiding her as well as herself. From here, Alphys was tall, she was all Undyne could see, all she wanted to see, and she felt angry for not looking _sooner_. Sure, her control frayed a bit more with every shared undulation, but _seeing_ the way it made Alphys feel was worth the shorter stamina.

Because Alphys was _smiling_ , and the closer she got, the wider it became.

Undyne shivered, her whole body reacting to such a look; she knew Alphys was oblivious to it, and likely thought it _wasn't_ a smile, which was why she kept leaning down or moving her head away. 

Alphys was afraid her passion made her ugly.

Undyne bit her lip, then reached up and grabbed hold of Alphys's upper arms, stopping her and startling her into opening her eyes. They went right to Undyne’s, dismay making them glassy with panic, as with this, Alphys expected the worst: rejection. But this fear dissolved, the second she saw Undyne's face, and saw not only yearning, but the same kind of passion, one that also changed and warped Undyne's face – but in the best ways. And when it was clear that Undyne loved to look up at her, Alphys couldn't look away from _her_ , feeling as if to do so would ruin everything.

Alphys closed her eyes for a moment, only to open her mouth – and her heart – and began to sing, habit taking over. She knew Undyne, now, recognised her as well as she did herself, and sang of it, her eyes eventually fluttering back open when her voice trailed off. Undyne had cried out, and she looked down, scared she was hurting her, then started to move her hands away. Undyne yelped and shook her head, pushing them back, before using her own to pull Alphys back down, pulling on her arms.

 _~Take my heart and hold it in your hand…~_ Alphys begged Undyne.

Alphys leaned down, and Undyne took her left hand into her own left hand, their thumbs hooking and their fingers curving and gripping tight. Their eyes remained locked, ever as both started going by instinct, alone, and when their palms brushed together, so did the folds of their cunts, and it was a sensual harmony that had them both suddenly sharing a shocked duet.

 _~Perfection…~_ her song replied.

The pace automatically increased between them. Both kept their left hands up, so that the back of the other's hand remained pressed between her breasts while they moved. Alphys's other hand kept herself propped up, but Undyne used _hers_ to touched Alphys's cheek, or neck, or shoulder… _Anywhere_ that made Alphys shiver and utter the slightly-crooked notes of a growing crescendo they were starting to truly share.

 _~I wish we could be free of what binds us…~_ Undyne warbled woefully, even as Alphys leaned down to kiss her cheeks and eyes.

 _~But we are bound together, so we are freer than most…~_ Alphys then offered, the sounds mixing with the echo of Undyne's, their duet lingering above their heads.

 _~Do soundwave escape the water at all...?~_ Alphys wondered.

Her mind was starting to haze over into nonsense while her body starting to tremble and rock above Undyne, whose own body still managed to meet her each time, her own voice growing hoarser.

 _~Does the song erupt from the water as bubbles...?~_ Undyne added.

It made Alphys smile brighter. _~When they pop, does one hear it...?~_

 _~So will our voices break open upon the waves, in harmony...?~_ Undyne wondered, unaware of how deep their connection truly lied; they shared similar thoughts in the span of _seconds_. She tried to focus on the answer to either question, because she could feel herself growing close, and was trying to hold back again. It took a _lot_ of concentration.

However, Alphys noticed, her eyes flaring wide, before she suddenly pulled her hands free, grabbed Undyne's shoulders, and pushed her back down and flat onto her back, her eyes burning into Undyne's, her mouth open but her voice gone, erased by the intensity of what she was already beginning to feel.

Undyne's eye widened, too, because she was starting to notice something.

This actually  _was_ like their songs, because, like them, whether through the magic of harmony and melody, or whether through pure dumb luck, Undyne remembered that both she and Alphys _always_  managed to reach orgasm at the same time.

When Undyne now felt Alphys increase the pace and she struggled to catch up, aware that Alphys was close – finding herself right beside her…

Alphys shut her eyes and sobbed, before leaning down and capturing Undyne's lips with her own. Undyne kissed back hungrily, her hands taking hold of Alphys's red face, her fingers digging in just enough to sting, but in the _best_ way possible…

Undyne closed her eye tight, feeling tears well up, the second she started coming – and realised that Alphys was coming, too, her cries high-pitched and muffled against Undyne's own low, long groan, her own body starting to stiffen, her heels digging into the floor so hard it hurt, but she felt none of it...

The second they came, they broke apart – and sang it out, both tilting their heads back and baying it out to the waters above, a thin, shaky forcefield that separated their worlds and gave them a private planet of their own. The song's conclusion was _haunting_ , both lilting and low-pitched, fast-paced but dragged out, as their bodies were dragged down, too, their pleasures coursing through them both and making them sob and cry and _sing…_

_~Bliss… sensation… joy… happiness…~_

_~_ You _…~_

Both sang that last word together, holding it between them like they'd held their hands, feeling like they were no longer separate; instead becoming one being, one with two voices, two hearts, _two souls…_

Even with gills, Alphys was breathless and reeling, the euphoria so intense that her eyes rolled up and her lips curved into the most _slyest_ of grins, one hand going to her own lips – while the other went to Undyne's cheek. Undyne's arms went around Alphys's waist, and she dragged Alphys back down against herself, interrupting that glee and instead _increasing_ it, the _second_ Alphys knew what it was...

_Undyne… my echo…_

_Alphys… my siren…_

_My beloved…_

Neither had known that a orgasm could last this long; neither had really thought to time it.

But at the same time, facts were facts, and by the time either one remembered what words meant, both were already drifting off into an exhausted, spent sleep, their bodies contented at last, after fourteen years of preparing for this moment...

Undyne let her body remain heavy upon the floor, and she made sure to keep Alphys in her arms and against herself, lest she float away while they slept.

Alphys _was_ almost asleep, her eyes half open. She raised them to Undyne's face, then reached up and tapped one of her cheeks, needing her visual attention.

Undyne purred, swallowing hard and turning toward her, and she opened her eye as little as she could in order to see what Alphys wanted.

Alphys smiled sleepily, raised her hands between them, and signed something to Undyne.

Halfway through, she lit up, because Undyne joined her, getting it perfect alongside her:

'You and me, together.'

Alphys laughed and threw her arms around Undyne's neck, burying her face into her neck and hair, and Undyne laughed in return and kissed her cheek, wrapping her arms and legs around Alphys and keeping her close. Alphys re-wrapped her tail around one of Undyne's shins, before she snuggled closer, curled up, and relaxed.

Undyne relaxed right after, her mind drifting off with Alphys's.

Both fell asleep, just as the meal break bell rang.

Neither heard it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also! I've been having trouble with regular updates lately, due to health, but I'm trying my best. Please be a little more patient, especially if you're waiting for other fics to update. If you have questions, you can ask me on Twitter or curiouscat. :)


	42. A Meal on Wheels

Papyrus jumped up from his racecar bed, before scrambling up to his feet and almost tripping over his boots, stopping right in front of the door but not moving to open it, his outstretched and gloved hand shaking in mid-air.

But when he heard it again, his soul lifted and he smiled, lunging for the wall beside his door and smashing his hand into the button upon it, one that trilled for a moment, then swooshed open, making him jump back.

Papyrus then moved to look down, expecting sans, but instead found his gaze drawn back up, and upon the face of the person who actually stood there: Queen Toriel.

“OH!” he stammered, before bowing a little, then flinching and sneaking an embarrassed look to the side, hoping the hallway camera picked nothing up. “HELLO, LADY TORIEL!”

Toriel smiled, nodding to him. “Good night, Papyrus. I was wondering if you would like someone to tidy up for you – as well as perhaps give you some company for lunch.” She frowned. "Breakfast?"

He blinked, and found his gaze drawn back to her cart, where two paper bags were rested upon the top of the bin: take-out bags, from the hangar cafeteria.

“YOU BROUGHT ME FOOD?” he wondered. He was stunned. The Queen, the woman who loathed his father, who had every right to hate him, too, was feeding _him?_ Why?

“Yes,” she agreed. “You were very kind to my dear friend last night, and I wanted to repay you. She cannot at the moment, but she will probably want to as soon as she can. If she does, would you like me to…?”

He was nodding before she could finish, aware of what she was asking him: did he want to see Alphys again? The answer of course was yes. He even felt himself smiling at the thought of it, something he usually only felt with sans, or whenever he'd finished helping someone in Snowdin…

He missed Snowdin…

“I WAS ALSO WONDERING,” he found himself saying, “IF IT WERE POSSIBLE TO MEET MY FATHER'S ASSET?”

The question took Toriel aback. “Undyne?” she blurted out, before reddening a little.

Papyrus noticed that she made no further movement into his room, despite his prior consent, and was about to remind her.

Instead, she answered him. “Yes,” she agreed, embarrassed that she'd said Undyne's name. But then again, she felt nothing threatening from him, not like she did with his father – or even his brother. “If you would like, I can arrange for you to see them both.”

He blinked. “YOU CAN DO THAT FOR ME?”

Toriel was about to reply, only to suddenly find words shimmering to life between herself and Papyrus, the words flipping to address them both.

_‘And what might this be, this thing you will be doing for Papyrus?’_

Toriel sighed, then turned to her right, just as Gaster had finished swinging around the corner, clearly just in earshot, now. He looked furious, but in a way that only she could recognise, which also surprised her.

 _Now that is interesting,_ she thought, just as Gaster stopped right in front of her, looking up at her with dark, burning eyes, his hands clenched at his sides and shaking.

Papyrus mentally cursed _(“FIDDLESTICKS!”)_ , looking away so that his father would not see the annoyed disappointment on his face. He was so lonely, and he hated being here. No amount of visits from sans could fix that. He knew his fate was tied to the Asset's, by now, and in more ways than just blackmailing sans, and the longer he spent alone and thinking to himself, the more he began to shake off the novelty of being here, and yearn instead for a means to go home. And since he couldn't go home, he thought he at least had the right to get to know the people trapped here with him, like said Asset – _Undyne_ , he knew, now – as well as sans, and now Alphys and Toriel.

He wanted it to be like it was back in Snowdin, when everyone knew everyone else, and protected each other, no matter what happened, and everyone was safe and happy as a result.

 _Nobody is safe or happy, here,_ he knew. And if he _had_ to stay here, he wanted to at least fix that before he was set free. If anything, he hoped that he could find a way to make Undyne useful to Gaster, so that he could finally go home, and _she_ could be set free.

That _was_ why he was here, wasn't it…?

 _'What was it you said you wanted to do?’_ Gaster demanded on Toriel, his other hands speaking for him, in turn making the words visible. _‘What did you say to my son, Toriel? And who said you could even see him?’_

“Nobody,” she admitted. “But come on. He's been here almost a week; doesn't he deserve some kind of change of scenery? Is he a prisoner?”

Papyrus suddenly looked over, and when Gaster saw his attention, he glowered knives at Toriel, making her smirk and raise her chin.

She had him.

She had him in a corner, now, and it _infuriated_ him.

He either had to admit that he was a prisoner, or let him roam free and pretend in he was a guest – in turn making it true, anyway.

Oh, he _hated_ her. He _despised_ her _._ She'd already interfered too much, both before _and_ now, and nothing would stop her. If she found a way, she would take it, because she knew it was her only power.

And no matter how hard he tried, he would never truly get even with her, because he knew what this was now about.

And she had him because of it.

He signed one word at her, seething at her and trembling, the only word he could think of: ‘ _Cunt_.’

Except that Toriel not only understood it, but it made her smile wider, before she snorted, then laughed, reaching up and very lightly covering her mouth as she did. It was genuine, because she wasn't offended by it, not in the slightest. Instead, it _amused_ her, because it truly meant that he was _that_ pathetic. He truly thought that by calling her that, he was insulting her, and that was what made him so pathetic in the first place.

“You know what you did,” she replied, stepping forward and getting right into his face. “And you know what you're doing, now. Why force your youngest son to suffer from _your_ duplicity, _Leader_?”

She sneered the last word.

Gaster stepped back, his eyes blazing with hatred, wishing he could kill her right here and now. He had means. He had ways. He knew how. He just needed _one shot..._

But then, even Gaster knew it was futile. She was who she was, and he would never win a fight against her, not physically. He would have to get even with her in other ways, but his mind was torn, between panic and rage, not wanting Papyrus to leave his room or spend any time with Toriel, while feeling terrible for keeping him trapped the way he was and making him miserable.

He loved only Papyrus, but acted as if he felt the least for him out of them all.

That was intentional; it protected him from harm, even from Gaster, himself.

But he hated to see him so sad…

‘Fine,’ he signed, this time slower, and in a way that allowed both to see. ‘You may have lunch in the cafeteria. After, Toriel, you are to return to the hangar.’

“ACTUALLY, FATHER, I WOULD LIKE HER TO CLEAN MY ROOM,” Papyrus said, surprising both adults.

Toriel smiled softer, nicer, a little pleased that he did, and Gaster lowered his head, hiding his face for a moment.

 _He would be out of camera range with someone else_ , Gaster thought hurriedly, with her. _If she tries anything, there would be no proof._

_But would she be that stupid?_

He looked up at her, and she looked back blankly, not affected by his expression – not in any way that he could seen in any case.

 _No,_ he knew. _She would never hurt an innocent, and even she knows that my youngest son is innocent. She has honour._

_He is safe with her._

And, if she _did_ pull anything, he could always use Alphys to get back at her, aware of how she felt for _his_ daughter.

He didn't have any problem killing Alphys, least of all if Toriel killed Papyrus.

So he nodded to her, before turning to his son. He moved closer and touched his shoulders, and Papyrus looked up at him warily, hoping for both affection and reassurance, but expecting neither.

 _‘If you are in need of me, call me,’_ Gaster told him, the words appearing behind his head. ‘ _Use the phone, Papyrus. That's why I bought it.’_

“I WILL,” Papyrus agreed. He had no problems with that.

Gaster hesitated, wanting to hug him, but not in front of Toriel. Instead, he squeezed his shoulders and nodded, then pulled away and smiled briefly, repeating his nod. He then shot a glare to Toriel, before turning around and stalking away, back down the hallway and around the corner – then out of sight.

“Thank you for covering for me,” Toriel murmured.

“YOU, TOO,” he replied. “YOU'LL HELP ME SEE THEM BOTH?”

“I will do everything I can to, yes.”

He eyed her closely – something she oddly felt despite not seeing any definitive part within his sockets that could denote focusing upon something, but despite the lack, the feeling was real. She smiled, relaxing once she understood, and he finally did, too, nodding.

“THANK YOU,” he agreed. “LET'S GO TO THE CAFETERIA, THEN.”

Toriel agreed, and after a moment of adjustment with her cart, then him locking his door, before the two began their walk down the other end of the hallway.

Once they were around the corner, Gaster suddenly rounded the other, before darting after them, keeping out of earshot but not out of sight.

If he couldn't hear what they said, he would still watch them, and make sure no harm came to his son.

No matter what.

* * *

sans heard the bell and stopped working, throwing his pen across the room with a growl and slamming his forehead into the best, closing his sockets. He held his head in his arms, wrapping them around his skull protectively, deciding to stay here for the lunch break.

He usually spent the time catching up on other reports, or things Gaster needed his “help” (translation: needed sans to do it all for him), but this time, he didn't want to. He didn't _have_ to work at lunch, but did so that he didn't have to spy. He knew the second he left here, he would have to go to F-1.

And he didn't want to go to F-1.

He'd seen how they'd looked at each other.

He'd seen that before; not just between them, but in other people, people he knew: his own parents – his mother.

Alphys and Alpha looked alike, just like he and Papyrus looked very much like Gaster. There were easy differences – one would never mix up one for the other – but it was clear that they were related. And he remembered his mother's face, the night before she killed herself, when she and Gaster disappeared within the True Lab. She'd stared at Gaster like Alphys stared at Undyne, and even though his glimpses of both had been brief, there was no question or doubt.

Alphys's love was real and true. And so was Undyne's.

And he had no desire to eavesdrop on such a thing unless he was forced to.

So he did not.

And luckily, Gaster never even thought to notice, not until much too late.

* * *

The cafeteria wasn't that busy, as many overnighters usually spent their break off Deltarune grounds, usually just outside of the invisible barrier surrounding the land owned by Gaster, as most didn't eat, instead using the time as their own. Some worked other jobs; others went home to take care of chores, this time the only time they were able to; more chose to spend the time with other workers, as at least they could gossip amongst themselves if not their families…

It was a generous break, as the daytime break was only an hour and a half. This one was two, and while most took it, people like Toriel and Alphys rarely did. If it ever happened, it was usually because Alphys ended up running late, coming back into the lockerroom with red cheeks and bright eyes, smiling ever so slightly, secretly, slyly…

 _Now I know why,_ Toriel sighed. Her eyes swept over the near-empty room, the place small and cramped with rows of benches and tables, long planks of wood from wall to wall, broken only in between benches to allow space to walk.

Toriel had to edge her cart beside the very end of one of the tables, choosing the one closest to the door, so that she could leave with her cart easier, too. She couldn't fit it between those benches, so she had no other choice.

Papyrus sat across from her, making sure to give her space for her cart, and when she handed him one of the bags, she had finished her twice-over.

Other then them, there were three people in the place, and one got up to leave not long after Toriel had sat down.

The other two – several tables apart – openly stared at the deposed Queen; she was always a novelty, but was especially one, now, as she never ate here, preferring instead to wait for Alphys to return in the lockers, so that they could spend the rest, together – or working.

They also had eyes for Papyrus, as skeletons were rarer than ghosts, both above _and_ under. In fact, he was one of three, alone – and the other two he was related to.

Toriel ignored them, and when he noticed, Papyrus decided to do the same. He waited until she had started before opening his own bag, and waited politely until she had eaten her first spoonful, before – somehow – doing the same right after.

Toriel noticed, and she set her spoon down for a moment. “I must say, Papyrus, that your manners are impeccable.”

Papyrus looked up and nodded, smiling. “I LIKE TO BE POLITE,” he agreed between spoonfuls – she watched so closely, and yet still missed how he did it – “BECAUSE IT MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY, AND I LIKE TO DO THAT.”

Toriel was quiet for a moment, unsure of how to respond to that. It was so unlike anyone named Gaster to be that way, wasn't it?

 _Well_ , she corrected, feeling a little guilty. _sans had been kind, the first time around. He really had wanted Undyne to be free, to save her life, and she knew he was horrified of her return – and not just for Papyrus's sake, either._

Papyrus watched her, then nodded. “I KNOW,” he said, getting her attention, again. “I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING: THAT MY FATHER IS ANYTHING BUT POLITE.”

“Oh, no, Papyrus,” she corrected honestly. “On the contrary: I have no reason to doubt you because of his actions. Your brother once rebelled. He had tried, too.”

Papyrus looked down for a moment. He knew how much sans loved him, especially because he loved sans just as much, if not even more. He also knew that, in a way, he was also holding sans back, and didn't like it.

But he didn't want to be here, either. Not really. Not like this, and not for these reasons.

“MY FATHER IS A GREAT MAN,” he said, staring into the cup of soup. “BUT HE IS NOT A NICE PERSON.”

Toriel eyed him closely at that, choosing to stay silent for a moment, in case he wanted to add more. He looked guilty, like he'd done something wrong and wished to fix it, but didn't know how and desperately needed to.

 _He has no idea how much he means to Gaster,_ she realised, her mind slowly coming to it, held back by the intense stress of the barely half-spent week. It was near impossible to accept that mere days had passed, when it felt like _months_.

_So much has changed…_

But when Papyrus remained as quiet, Toriel spoke up. “He treats you poorly?” She worded it carefully, so as not to insult him by implying otherwise, but with an awareness that he might not know how feared his father was.

“I _AM_ A PRISONER,” he answered, shrugging. He said it plainly, but he still kept his gaze locked on his soup.

That was the very last answer she'd expected, because it was not only the truth, but one that cast Gaster in a bad light. She didn't know what to say, or how to respond. She didn't know how much of what she said went to Gaster through him, and wanted to be cautious.

But again, Papyrus shrugged that pretence away. “I KNOW I AM HERE TO KEEP SANS OBEDIENT, AND NOT FOR MY COMPANY. THE FACTS ARE SIMPLE: I WAS HAPPIER IN SNOWDIN, AND SO WAS EVERYONE ELSE, INCLUDING MY FATHER. BUT BECAUSE OF HIS WORK, AND BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED BEFORE I WAS BORN, I _HAVE_ TO BE HERE, BECAUSE MY FATHER NEEDS TO SUCCEED, AND HE NEEDS SANS'S OBEDIENCE FOR IT TO WORK”

Toriel had stopped eating, hanging on every word. Papyrus smiled wryly, not even caring that he'd just said all of that to his father's sworn enemy and humiliated slave (for wages, but a slave no less).

Something was wrong, with all of this, and he didn't like it, anymore. He didn't like being here, and wanted to go home.

He _was_ a prisoner, but one unaware that his cell was lined with gold.

He was being honest with Toriel, for no reason other than to be honest, so she decided to gamble.

“Do you know what he's doing here?” she asked him.

Papyrus finally looked back up at her, his eyes narrowing a little when she looked back, and they felt it. It made him hesitate, and she wondered if he knew what it meant, yet.

“HE'S TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE BOSS MONSTERS,” Papyrus replied easily. “EVERYONE KNOWS THAT. EVEN I DID, WHEN HE WOULD ONLY VISIT ONCE A MONTH IN SNOWDIN. HE WANTS TO GO TO WAR, AND HE NEEDS WARRIORS.”

He then hunched over a little, looking back down and no longer eating. Instead, he held his chin in one glove, the other playing with his spoon.

Toriel paused, too, as her heart was racing, and she prayed that he couldn't hear it.

He couldn't, revealing it when he spoke. “I'M NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HELP HIM, NOT LIKE SANS DOES. EVER SINCE I WAS YOUNG, FATHER HAS ALWAYS MADE SURE THAT I DON'T OVERWORK MYSELF.”

That was odd, but it also made sense. If Gaster didn't know that his own son was a Boss Monster, it would make sense that he would keep him – and _only_ him – separate from Deltarune, and all he did here.

But the way Papyrus worded it…

“Are you ill?” she asked him gently. She knew for a fact that he was not, but needed his answer.

Papyrus hesitated with it, again, unsure of how much he should say, and if he'd already gone too far. Was he endangering Gaster, by talking to Toriel?

Perhaps if Gaster could hear his words, he would have reason to be alarmed. But from where Gaster was, to make sure he kept away from Toriel's detection meant staying out of hearing range, and he missed all of what was said, seeing only his son's expressions, none of which really made the topic of discussion obvious. All he could tell was that Papyrus looked sad, and Toriel was clearly trying to cheer him up, or counsel him through it.

Gaster trusted her as much as he trusted sans, albeit with a bit more strength, now: if this was her only way to get back at him for surreptitiously submitting the cohabitation law, then perhaps he really had nothing to fear – at least, with Papyrus.

Toriel wasn't as shrewd as him, was she? Would she put it all on the line to interrogate or hurt his son, while clearly knowing his worth to Gaster? He knew she could be ruthless, and cold, but…

 _Papyrus is still a child in her eyes,_ he thought,  _and she probably feels empathy as a mother. She would never hurt a child, no matter where they came from._

Gaster didn't leave, however. He remained.

“I DON'T KNOW,” Papyrus admitted. “SOMETIMES, HE TREATS ME LIKE I'M MADE OF GLASS, LIKE I _AM_ SICK. AS THOUGH I HAVE CRACKS WITHIN ME, AND HE VISITS ME TO MAKE SURE THEY STAY SEALED. BUT I DON'T FEEL BROKEN. NOT IN THE WAY HE THINKS. I WAS HAPPY.”

“Was?”

Papyrus nodded, but this time, said nothing more.

She tried to press him a few more times, but he merely shrugged or said he didn't know, and she knew she'd hit his limit for the day.

She decided to change topics, and they talked about sans. She thought it would be a safe, innocuous topic, one that would offer insight into sans, but in ways that were merely superficial, what siblings know about their other siblings, that kind of thing.

Instead, what he told her – and what _she_ told _him_ – changed everything.

Right there, right before Gaster’s eyes, as he remained in ignorance while burning with the need to understand, to know, to _demand_ to know…

Instead, it marked the beginning of the end.

 _Definitively_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cuts it off here like an asshole and runs away laughing*


	43. Waves and Droplets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight gore warning.

Undyne floated above the clouds, leaping from puff to puff, their bodies solid enough to use only as brief springboards, but spring up she did, and it felt amazing.

Her heart floated higher, and she realised she was chasing it, trying to catch up to it, to connect with it and thus feel the same euphoria it was.

She suddenly felt her left hand take hold of someone else's right, and she looked down at found Alphys beside her, her face glowing and bright with glee.

Undyne looked back up, and saw that the soul she'd been chasing had actually been made up of _two_ : hers, and Alphys's.

The closer they got – for Alphys jumped alongside side her, now, just as light and free – the easier it was to see that the heart was twice the normal size, and green.

A clear amalgamation of their souls.

 _What a strange word to choose,_ Alphys thought, for of course she dreamt the very same, even now.

_Amalgam._

_Amalgamate._

_Amalgamation_ …

 _Why is it like that?_ Undyne murmured, happy that they could communicate as they ran.

 _I don't know_ , Alphys confessed. Her voice was identical to the voice she had underwater, and it comforted her.

 _Let's catch it and find out_ , Undyne suggested eagerly.

Alphys agreed, and together, they increased their speed, leaping from cloud to cloud, higher and higher, until the sky began to dim, then darken and start to lose cloud-cover, revealing empty patches of midnight sky, as if about to touch space, instead.

And above them glittered the star of their combined souls, the green often splitting into yellow and blue, before they merged, again, and with it, both felt bliss return.

 _Almost there…!_ Undyne cried, feeling her body get heavier, growing tired and light-headed.

 _We'll suffocate!_ Alphys protested, though she kept going, too.

_Just a bit… more…!_

_There, now…!_

Their hands outstretched, and their fingertips touched the bright green heart, feeling that wave of promised euphoria course through them both the second they did, crying out and clutching the other's hand tight.

It felt _wonderful_ , long-awaited, eagerly deserved…

* * *

…and Alphys awoke with a start, her body jolting the second she realised where she was – and forgetting everything as she did.

_I'm underwater!_

_Why am I in the pool? How have I not drowned?!_

_What's happening--?!_

Suddenly, she felt arms go around her waist, and she froze, her eyes closing and her body relaxing, then leaning back. Undyne caught and held her, leaning over her shoulder and kissing her cheek, and she smiled, reaching up and holding one of her arms in place.

“Breathe with your gills…” Undyne reminded her, her voice making her shiver.

Alphys concentrated, and, after barely trying, she was breathing, again, the water warm and soothing as she felt it slide between her gills, the bright-red slits filtering in the oxygen to keep her alive.

“I’d forgotten,” she squeaked out, her voice hoarse and muffled. She still wasn't quit used to using it, and still coughed a little when she did.

“Not me,” Undyne replied, kissing her other cheek. “Alphy… Holy _shit_ …”

She shuddered, memory coursing through her, and she buried her face into Alphys's neck, making her giggle and squirm, tickled by it. Undyne smiled and blinked away her tears, and when she raised her head, Alphys kissed her cheek, that time.

“Undyne,” Alphys raised out, touching her other cheek. “I want to get you out of here.”

Undyne stared at her, her eye flicking between Alphys’s, but she was dead-serious. “Alphy…” she stammered. “We both know I’m not making it outta here alive…”

Alphys flinched, then pushed herself back, one hand going up to cover her mouth.

Before Undyne could grab her back, Alphys quickly swam away, using the momentum to push herself back up to the surface.

Undyne called her back, but she was already breaking through the surface, and didn't hear her.

The cold air hit Alphys and made her shiver, but she pulled herself out of the water slowly, suddenly feeling as if she weighed a thousand kilos. Her body was heavy and clumsy, and she fell trying to hobble over the lip of the pool.

She landed on her side and lost her breath – and suddenly blacked out, forgetting how to use her proper lungs, instead.

Luckily, it didn't last, as her body jolted her back awake, and shock made her gasp through her mouth. It was harsh enough to feel physical, but when she tried to cry out, nothing came out. Instead, her throat filled with phlegm and blood, and she choked, then threw up a few times, dropping to her hands and knees.

She didn't know how long she remained like that, hunched over and eventually dry-heaving over what looked like chewed up food, but was really dead skin and old blood. She gagged, then started to cry, frustrated and afraid, but when she tried to push herself back up, she was too heavy.

Then, she heard a splash, followed by quick footsteps, going right up and stopping at her side. She felt cold hands touch her burning shoulders, then felt one arm go over them, that hand firmly taking hold of one shoulder, while the other hand remained pressed between her breasts, over her heart, both to steady her and to make sure her heart kept beating.

Alphys soon managed to stop coughing, feeling nothing left within her throat, and when she did, she almost passed out. Instead, Undyne caught her and rested her head within her lap.

Alphys curled up closer, actually moving to sit upon her lap, and Undyne smiled and helped her do it. She was a little disappointed, because Undyne now wore her suit, but even _she_ knew that she had to get dressed, eventually, too.

“I’ll help you,” Undyne murmured, just as Alphys's tired eyes went over to her pile of clothes. She tried to speak, then. She tried to say, “Yes please.” She wanted to say it _so much..._

_But..._

Instead, she only managed to squeeze out a few squeaks, before her throat began to throb with pain, and it silenced her, her eyes filling with dismayed tears.

Alphys was still mute, after all.

They'd found the problem, put her life at risk to test a very flimsy theory, and lucked out when it had been correct. She was lucky she'd survived that at all, let alone be able to use her new gills in the first place. She knew that, and knew her disappointment stemmed from the fact that, despite being able to _truly_ sing, she still couldn't even _say_ her own lover's beautiful name…

Alphys cried, and Undyne held her through it, just as saddened by this as she was. She cried, too, and when Alphys noticed, they both found each other worrying over the other, and causing a circle of concern and comfort.

Once they noticed, it made them smile, then laugh softly, before they could finally meet each other's gaze without crying, again.

Undyne smiled at Alphys. “This is _still_ a good thing,” she reminded her. “All of this is. I'm so happy we were able to figure this out so early, so that we can enjoy the entire week...”

Alphys's face fell, as did her stomach and heart, and she looked away, then pushed herself to her feet, walking over to her clothes and kneeling beside them. She slowly pulled them back on, her hands shaking so hard that she misaligned the buttons of her shirt.

Undyne quickly went over to help her, her own heart cracking. She helped Alphys put on the rest, then to her feet. She wobbled a little, but once she had her cane, she could stay on her feet.

Alphys sighed, then pushed herself over to the desk and sat down, glad that there was still some paper and some pencils and pens left behind.

Undyne stood there for a moment, her hands held out, before she noticed Alphys grab one and start to write. She walked over, and Alphys waved her into the other chair, looking sombre, but not hurt or upset, anymore.

Undyne sat and watched her write, finding herself falling under a spell the longer she did. Alphys emoted as she wrote, and she clearly wrote about serious, deep things: her face showed every single thought and feeling.

Undyne sat mesmerised, watching with her cheek in her hand and a smile upon her face, and felt even more affection bloom once she realised Alphys had no clue as to what she did.

Once done, Alphys lowered her pencil, looked up shyly at Undyne, and shoved the paper at her, blushing the second she saw her affectionate expression.

Undyne hesitated, instead taking her hand, and when Alphys looked up, she kissed her palm, closing her eye for a moment with a smile, her lips lingering. Alphys shivered again, her fingers automatically curling around Undyne's soft cheek, and she felt her own cheeks burn as well as hurt, unaware that she was grinning.

Undyne grinned back, then placed Alphys's hand within her own, using the other to read. Alphys's handwriting was messy, tilted and scratchy, but Undyne understood – because her own handwriting was just as bad, if not worse.

_“Undyne (spelt right?),  
I meant what I said. I am going to get you out of here. Don't you understand, what's happened, now? We're both equal to him, now. We can confront him as we are, right now, and we could easily take him down. He's a Boss Monster, too, but there are two of us, and because of what he's done to us both, we're likely stronger. We'll get you out of here.”_

“Yes,” Undyne murmured softly, “it's spelt right. But, Alphy… how? Neither of us are strong, right now. I can hear your stomach growling, already.”

Alphys went scarlet, then hurriedly grabbed the paper back, scratching furiously.

Undyne watched her with a smile, though this time, it was sad. “Where's your bag? I'll get your lunch. Can we share?”

Alphys nodded, so Undyne got up and grabbed Alphys's shoulderbag from her cart, having kept it in the compartment below the various brushes and dusters.

Undyne fished it out, able to smell it the second she found it, and she felt happy, again, once she knew. She rushed back over, just as Alphys was finishing up, and they exchanged, sharing a chuckle.

_“I know there's some way to find out where the True Lab is. I honestly think that the key to getting out of here lies in whatever was left behind before it was sealed away. If we can find a way into it before Gaster figures out what we're doing, then we can go in there and extract what we need before he even realises we found it. Whatever he did to you is related to whatever he and Mother did to me, and both answers lie in the place that we were tested in.”_

Undyne frowned, then looked up, just as Alphys pushed over the jar of fresh snails, taking the stale ones for herself.

Undyne, however, switched them with a sigh: “My teeth are sharper, Alphy. They won't be as chewy for me.”

Alphys realised this was true, and nodded, blush shyly with gratitude, before she opened the fresh jar, extracting a snail and giving it to Undyne, before getting one for herself.

With a shared smiled, they touched the shells together, like a toast, then sucked the snail out in one slurp, swallowing it down after a handful of lazy chews, the meat tender enough to almost melt upon their tongues.

Alphys wagged her tail and closed her eyes, grabbing another, and Undyne broke into hers, talking between each gulp.

“Alphy, I was tested _here_ ,” Undyne then confessed. “In this room. There was space for it before, because there was no pool. There had only been _that_.” She waved to the tube with a flinch. “That, and a cot. Well, two cots: my bed, behind a curtain, and the bed he belted me into when experimenting on me. A metal one."

Alphys frowned, hurriedly grabbing the paper back. When Undyne got it back, there was a bit of grease on the paper, but she still could read it.

_“Undyne, you said you got shocked. You could only of been shocked in one place: the True Lab. Deltarune doesn't have a DTXM. Do you remember what the room looked like when you were shocked? Are you sure it was this one?”_

Undyne was about to agree, but stopped, hesitating and swallowing quickly. She wasn't sure, anymore.

 _I remember a radio,_ she thought. _There was one mounted in the corner. I listened to it, whenever he had it set up._

_Wasn't that in here? Didn't he just take it out with him, when he left? Isn't the radio he gave me, here, that very same radio?_

_No,_ she knew, now. _The other one was an older model, one so huge that it had taken up a corner of the room by itself. There's no way he could do that..._

“Is there a radio, _there_?” she asked, not really wanting an answer. “A big one? One from like thirty years ago?”

But Alphys nodded, her own expression falling. Clearly, she'd naively hoped the same as Undyne.

“Then…” Undyne murmured, her eye unfocused. “It was more than once. I remember staring at a glowing radio dial at least four times. And each time, I only remember stopping because it all went black. Whenever I woke up, I was back here, on the bed-cot.”

Alphys didn't move, her eyes filling with horrified tears. It had broken her heart when she'd been forced to accept that Undyne _had_ been shocked; it felt even worse to realise that it had been more than once.

“How many times were you injected?” Undyne asked her, her eye snapping open and her voice breaking, suddenly scared.

Alphys, like her, began to answer – only to stop, suddenly unsure of something she'd been so sure of mere moments ago. She shook her head, looking blindsided. She held up one finger, then hesitated.

 _I woke up twice,_ she remembered. _And the second time…_

_The second time, my mother looked into my eyes, saw what I was – and attacked me…_

She bit her lip, her face paling, and she slowly raised a second finger, her entire hand shaking as she held it up.

“Where are the other two, then? The ones from me, the ones left over?” Undyne demanded, fear snaking through her. She flinched, feeling almost violated, and she wrapped her arms around herself, slowly rocking in place, her eye on Alphys's face. “Alphy, why were you given two? Why was I shocked so much? Why...?"

Alphys closed her eyes, her tears sliding down her face, before she grabbed the paper back, and wrote on it one last time:

_“I don't know, anymore, Undyne. That's why I think we need to find the True Lab. I was for sure injected twice, but I don't know where the other two they took from you are. They sealed the entire Lab after the experiments ‘failed', and then and Mother died, and you broke out. I was disowned, you stayed hidden, and the Lab was sealed. Now that he's back to where he started, he might even unseal it, himself. It could just be a matter of waiting. For all we know, that's where sans is, right now. But either way, we need to get there. We need to figure out how this happened, so that we can understand our connection. I think it's important, what happened to us, and I think it could help take power back from Gaster. Did my father ever inject you with anything?”_

It was the first time she'd seen the word put to paper, and a face put to the word, but Alphys accepted it easily. If anything, that was the easiest part to understand about all of this.

She handed the paper over, and all she could think of were the words “Alphys Gaster”. It made her feel cold.

“Wait,” Undyne said suddenly, her eye still on Alphys's words. “Alphy, wait. I think I do remember. I think I get why I’m so confused about where it was.”

She looked up and found Alphys staring at her intensely, pencil poised on the edge of the paper and waiting for the impact of Undyne's words, but in a way that made her feel... _warm_.

It was such an _intense_ look, one that reminded her of similar looks, and she forgot how to speak for that duration. She could only think of one thing.

 _I want to marry you,_ she thought to Alphys, suddenly – so suddenly that it was the first time she'd ever thought it.

Sure, she'd _fancied_ marrying her siren, if she ever got the ovaries to just jump up and reveal herself, but that never happened, so her ovaries remained as cowardly as the rest of her.

Now, however, upon seeing that determined – _Wow, that really is the only word to call such a thing, isn't it?_ she realised – expression, it was what she wanted to say, instead.

But of course she didn't, because she knew this was more important, right now.

“Once,” she murmured, keeping her eye on Alphys's face. The longer she did as she spoke, the better she felt, even with the grim news. “I remember specifically being _in here_ , Alphy. There was no radio. He'd buckled me into my regular bed, and said there was a change of plans, and that he…”

Undyne concentrated, trying to think back to that time, ended up almost falling backwards into it... until she felt Alphys take her hand, and she grabbed hold, keeping it within her own as her anchor to this world. She lowered her forehead to the desk – to that hand – and pressed her forehead to the back of it, closing her eye and kissing its fingertips shakily.

“I need to say it all,” she raised out. Alphys squeezed her hand. “But it'll take time. How much time do we have?”

Alphys frowned, then looked around – and found a clock mounted on the wall (she'd left her watch at home that day, forgetting), and saw that lunch break was almost over.

 _We must have slept for over an hour_ , she realised. _Good thing we woke when we did, but we have to be careful… once lunch ends…_

Alphys nodded, holding up both hands, then clenching them once and reopening them: _twenty_.

“Okay. Twenty minutes,” Undyne translated, and Alphys smiled with relief and took her hand, again, making her smile weakly – but gratefully. “I'll do my best.”

Alphys smiled at her, nodding again, and that was also easily translated: ‘I believe in you.’

Because she _did_. With all of her heart and soul.

And even Undyne could see it, no matter how oblivious she usually was. She smiled back with a blush, then swallowed back a lump of tears.

“Okay. Here we go.”

And she told Alphys all that she remembered, that single night that changed everything – for everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I lost my way with this story? Is it too confusing? Please let me know. I have a lot written up, but I want to make sure it's making sense before I go on. Help?


	44. Past Presents

Slowly, Undyne stirred awake, feeling confused.

What had happened before now?

What was even happening, now?

She tried to open her eyes, but found their lids to be heavy. She could breathe, but her mouth was dry, and she wanted, her heart racing.

She needed water. She felt so feverish…

 _‘Good morning, Undyne,’_ she saw slowly, the words growing brighter and brighter to force her eyes open.

She groaned, closing them again, but the words were burnt to her retina. She tried to cover her eyes with her arm, but both were belted down, and she whimpered.

She didn't want this, anymore. She couldn't do it. She _couldn't_.

_I can't...!_

But he grabbed her chin and yanked her head toward him, and she yelped from the pain, her eyes snapping open and filling with tears. He was blurry, but she knew his shape anywhere, and she snarled, trying to move away. Instead, Gaster tightened his hold, and she closed her eyes. The fire went out, and she dropped back down, whimpering again and feeling her tears streak down her cheeks.

She remembered, now.

He'd drugged her food, again. She was strapped to that metal table, the one he always made disappear, somehow, whenever he finished hurting her…

She’d woken up what felt like a century ago, now, starving, and found a shift and some underpants beside her. She'd jumped into them happily, then saw her food, and she reached for it, thinking nothing of it…

…and now, she was belted to this table. She could feel the drugs in her system, making her feel sluggish and stupid. The elation she'd felt when putting on those clothes vanished, and all she felt was misery.

“I want to go home,” she sobbed out, hearing how pathetic she sounded and hating it, but knowing that pride didn't matter, anymore.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him, still blurred but not enough to mask his expression: eager hope.

She hated that expression. She wanted to spit on it.

 _‘You cannot go home,’_ his words answered, even as he moved about the room.

She closed her eyes, not even bothering to try and watch him.

Seconds later, she heard him turn the radio on, and her ears twitched. She focused on the sound of static, and when music suddenly spilled throughout the room, she remained silent, allowing her weak mind to fall into the funnel of beauty that the classical music cast upon her, any time she heard it.

She knew why he did it. It wasn't to endear him to her. Rather, it was a way to sedate her while keeping her awake, aware that she needed the music to keep herself from fighting him, from screaming, from trying to claw his eyes out, to rip his heart out and eat it raw…

_Music soothes the savage breast..._

She felt something pierce her skin, and her eyes snapped open, going right to the site of the pain. She watched Gaster empty a syringe into her arm, trying to move herself away or shake the needle out...

In reply, he slapped her, right across the face.

She went still with another whimper, her tears returning, but she remained as quiet as she could, the sting of that slap scorching her skin.

_Was this what he meant, when his words claimed that he knew how to make ‘more of' me?_

_I'm_ not _a Boss Monster! Why is he doing this to me?!_

_Why won't he listen to facts?!_

_Why can't he tell, see the truth, and make this stop?!_

_Let me die,_ she concluded, trying desperately to reconnect with the music. _Please, please, let me die…!_

Pain.

She'd been able to watch him push the plunger down, the syringe's load vanishing beneath her skin – something bright blue, and almost shiny – but when it was almost empty, it started to burn.

“No,” she begged, looking up at him. “No, please… please stop…  _please_ …!”

He met her gaze, and she shook her head, even as he extracted the needle and covered the site with a bandage. 

Too late.

She sobbed wordlessly, her voice going hoarse when she felt pain burn all the way up from the site to her arm, then along her jawline and to her chest—

Instead, Gaster grabbed her face, and she managed to open her eyes, staring up at him through the glaze of tears. Behind him, his second set of hands traced letters and symbols, before falling into a pattern she understood.

 _‘Just be quiet and listen to the music,’_ the words commanded.

The tears slid down her cheeks, feeling ice-cold. She closed her eyes, nodding just once, before she slumped back and started to sob, listening to the radio with everything she was, starting to pray again, again and again, over and over…

Then, finally, everything went black.

But it didn't last.

Because it wasn't the end.

“listen, i told you everything i know. _you_ were there. _i_ wasn't. why are you screaming at me?!”

Undyne heard it, the music gone, now. She realised that its absence woke her up. She stirred, then went still, feeling pain course through her entire body, throbbing in time with her racing heart. She gritted her teeth, just barely managing to choke off any sound before it escaped her.

Something within her soul told her to listen. To listen – and to see.

She opened her eyes, just a bit, and watched as dim figures faced each other, one or two metres away, one with two sets of hands, the other's hands still and full of papers.

Both were glaring at each other, and sans's eyes were almost out.

‘ _It failed, sans,’_ the hands spelt out, and Undyne swallowed hard, feeling a shiver of fear. _‘It didn't take. We even gave her two rounds, and all it did was destroy her and ruin her, completely.”_

She heard a hiss of breath, and felt her tears increase.

She knew what that meant. She didn't want confirmation. She didn't want to know…

“it killed her?” sans asked, his voice flat.

Hesitation; looking back, Undyne could tell that Gaster had been confused, as he didn't know which ‘her' sans had meant.

 _‘Yes,’_ he answered, anyway. _‘It ruined her, and it killed…’_

The words dissolved, but when Undyne tried to keep listening, her heart pounding so hard that she felt dizzy, and the sound drowned all others out. She felt her body ignore her, instead needing to be heard _by_ her.

Whatever she'd been poisoned with was still within her, and this was probably going to be her last moment alive.

And all she'd discovered was that something that had come from her had killed someone else, and destroyed someone else's life. She didn't know if it was the same person, but she didn't care.

That was enough.

That was the last straw.

Before she passed out again, she vowed to escape – by any means possible.

* * *

“I tried three times before I got out. He managed to stick me to that table at least once more, but he never electrocuted me, again.” Undyne's voice was hoarse, choked from memory. “The second time he caught me, he threw me in there.”

She pointed to the empty, glassed-panelled cylinder, one Alphys had seen dozens of times by now and still didn't know what its use was. When they'd connected their souls, she'd caught glimpses of it in Undyne's memories, but neither lingered, wanting pleasure instead of pain.

Now, Alphys wondered what that tube really was, and what it did.

She had no idea that she would learn all about it – to the point of regret – and very, very soon.

Now, Alphys was crying, her hands covering her face, and she was hunched over the desk, unable to look up. She was heartbroken by this. She wished she could go back and not ask, so that she could be ignorant, again, but…

“It was you, Alphy,” Undyne knew, now, just like Alphys did. “You, and your mom. You were that ‘key test subject', weren't you?”

Alphys nodded weakly.

“But… then… why did he keep us apart? Why didn't he even think of trying to bring us together?” Undyne wondered.

Alphys looked up, looking sad and unsure, and Undyne felt a pang hit her. She got up and moved to sit beside her, throwing an arm around her and hugging onto her sideways. She curled up into Undyne's side, shivering, and she closed her eyes, inhaling Undyne's scent and allowing it to permeate her brain and calm down her frightened soul.

Both could feel the weights of their pasts smothering them, but together, both could be held back, just enough to be safe.

For now.

“Were you serious, Alphy?”

Alphys raised her head and looked at her, and Undyne's eye moved to hers. “About getting us outta here? About finding the True Lab, to see if there's something there, something we can do to reverse your voice loss?” she said.

Alphys nodded, mouthing the word, ‘Yes', so many times that Undyne found it easy to read, and she smiled, then laughed and covered Alphys's mouth – especially when Alphys smiled, too. She did so in a sly but cute way, making sure to keep trying to say it, to make Undyne laugh again and it worked.

When Undyne caught on, she took hold of Alphys's face and kissed her lips, grateful. Alphys closed her eyes, her own hands going between them and upon Undyne's chest, over her heart, and she returned it, so happy that kisses existed, that they were a language they both could understand…

Undyne's body flashed hot, and she suddenly was flooded with images of grabbing Alphys and just pinning her right upon this desk, in order to just jump right atop her and fu—

Alphys pushed on Undyne's chest before she could, and she pulled away, allowing them both to catch their breaths, forgetting for obvious but differing reasons.

Alphys was bright red, her eyes hazy and dark, making it clear that she was clearly feeling the same way, but… She sighed, then held her wrist up and pointed at it with her other hand.

_We've run out if time._

Undyne understood, and her face fell. “Oh… I should hide… and you should clean…?”

Alphys nodded, her eyes going to the puddle she'd created, and she sighed. Her sides throbbed a great deal, but the time she'd spent asleep in the water was spent healing, so that at least the bleeding had stopped, completely, even if both sides still looked rather horrific.

Each gill would chafe against her clothes, but she could bear it for a few more hours. She would bear it for decades if she had to, if it meant being with Undyne, if it meant setting her free…

Quickly, Alphys grabbed a new piece of paper and scribbled upon it quickly, her eyes going fearfully to the radio, and Undyne listened to it: she could tell that the song was about to end, and with it, this entire night.

She assumed.

Alphys wrote, refusing to let it go, trying to get out as much as she could, before she quickly tore off both sheets of notes, darted forward and handed them to her. Alphys didn't pull away; she kept her palms pressed Undyne's against herself, kissing her lips one more time...

Undyne shivered and kissed back, putting everything she was within it, so that Alphys would know without a doubt that she was beloved, and Undyne would spend every second waiting to get back to her…

Later, both would feel silly, but also agree that it was understandable, all things considered.

Alphys understood, but still, she sobbed, pulling away and shoving the papers shakily forward, forcing Undyne to take them. When she did, Alphys pushed herself up to her feet and grabbed her cane, before she used it, hobbling over to her cart to use _it_ as a kind of walker with wheels, to keep herself steady while on her feet.

Undyne tried to follow her, but that was when the alarm of the break broke in, startling her into flinching and sitting back down, and Alphys to jolt to life with terror and hurriedly throwing herself toward the exit.

But quickly, before she disappeared, Alphys raised her right hand up, holding up her pinkie, index, and thumb out, while keeping the middle two bent. It was kind of like a backwards four, and Undyne frowned, not understanding.

Yet.

She bit her lip, moving her hand down to her own chest, then toward Undyne's, holding her hand up the same way. Her eyes filled with tears, smiling weakly, and Undyne's eye slowly clouded with understanding – before she jumped, hearing someone swipe their key card. 

Alphys turned to the door by reflex, but by the time she'd turned back, Undyne had vanished beneath the water.

She nodded sadly, pushed her cart out before her, then left, locking the doors to the hangar behind her.

She then hesitated, before pressing her hand upon the door, her palm flat against the cold, unfeeling metal that now separated her from her beloved. Her hand was small, covering only part of one of the letters in “CAUTION: AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY”, and as a result, it made her feel tiny.

It hurt.

For the first time, Alphys had a purpose in life, a goal that she was working toward, instead of simply living day-to-day, hand-to-mouth, like she had been for fifteen years.

Deltarune allowed a person to sink into a comfortable routine, actually counting on each employee to do so, in order to quickly get used to their place within the building. No one moved up. No one was special. They were all as low as they could get, already, and their Leader only cared if they could help him.

Working here, working as a nameless grunt, made life speed by, true – but at what cost?

Alphys had been so sure that she had been at least content, here, able to accept that her life had ended at eighteen, and this was all she had, and all she should expect, and she was lucky. Sure, she would spend any spare time on personal projects or endeavours, but she had accepted from day one that her life was what it was, and would remain the same until the day she died.

And she’s been content.

She had Toriel, and she had Metta.

And she also had her echo, even when she began to doubt that it was an echo, and wondered if it was someone, a real person, who actually not only enjoyed her company, but enjoyed it enough to make it pleasurable for them both…

 _Which was true,_ she realised, now. _That's exactly what that echo had been. That's exactly what all of her answers told me._

The second she was injected, Alphys was tied to Undyne – and she, to Alphys.

Alphys knew easily that Gaster had never planned any of this, and likely would have never even brought Undyne back if he'd expected anything of the sort. Instead, he went out of his way to bring her back, and in turn, did nothing to keep them apart.

Alphys's connection to Undyne might've been artificial to start, but even _she_ knew that there was nothing left to suggest anything but a natural, love-led connection, one between two loving monsters.

This went beyond that usual bond – even one made between Boss Monsters.

Soon, she would find out just how deeply it lay. 

_I just hope I'm ready for it when I do..._

Indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🤟


	45. Letters and Loneliness

_It's almost like we're connected deeper than I ever expected,_ she thought gloomily, her eyes tearing up, again, _if one goes by the ordeal in the infirmary._

_It's almost as if we've become… symbiotic…?_

“Alphys?”

She jolted out of her reverie – and found Toriel there. She blinked, the weird eye-contact feeling no more than a mere tingle, now, one easily blinked away. Toriel blinked back, before she smiled, moving her own cart aside to help Alphys's out into the hall.

“Don't worry about the cameras,” Toriel hissed. “He's literally stalking me, right now – no, don't look! Don't look, don't sign, lest he looks them over, just in case. Stop!”

But Alphys had so much to tell her, so much she needed to tell her, and even started to try, but Toriel grabbed and held her hands still, surprising her.

But then, she heard, behind Toriel, “OH! IT'S YOU AGAIN! HELLO!”

Alphys felt dizzy, her eyes going up and behind Toriel – and upon Papyrus's, feeling the same feeling as before, only a little stronger than Toriel's, still. She smiled once she knew who it was, turning to Papyrus and nodding to him, genuinely happy to see him, again.

 _My friend,_ she thought, seeing that sentiment reflected within his sockets for eyes – somehow…

 _Wait…_ my _friend…?_

“He's out of hearing range but watching us from around that corner, making sure I won't do anything to Papyrus,” Toriel whispered to Alphys, the words forcing the latter to break out into a cold, furious sweat.

_I want to hurt him._

_My own father. My mother’s partner._

_The supposed Leader, the one I must always obey, is the one whose death I will never mourn._

_I want to make him suffer, rip his eye out, make him watch as I crush it in my hand…_

_I want to taste his blood, his tears, get drunk off them..._

_And I want to make him drown in the pain of my own,_ and _Undyne's…_

 _That_ he _caused…_

 _I want to_ kill _him._

_Now._

The thought was so sharp and abrupt that Alphys had to grab hold of her cart, again, lest she topple to Toriel's feet - though if she it happened, she was hoping to be stepped on, to end her misery, or…

_…I actually throw myself past her, like a whirlwind of rage, find him cowering behind that corner, my hands out and my claws extended and sharp, my fingers tingling with the need to be soaked in gloves made of his blood…_

_I'll show you a Boss Monster…_

_I’ll_ give _you one, you sack of shit…!_

Somehow, Toriel could tell, and she quickly pushed Alphys back to her cart, adding sharply, “Keep it together until we get to the lockers. We'll pretend we need a refill. I'm going to be cleaning Papyrus's room, and he wants to either stay and watch, or go somewhere else to wait it out.” She smiled at him. “He was waiting to ask you which you preferred.”

Alphys blushed, looking at him with uncontrollable scepticism, her mind automatically deciding that his attention was for his own personal gain, and she wanted to resent him for it, for being just like everyone else, but…

Instead, he smiled, looking so charming and so genuinely nice, that she forgot to be wary and watchful, and let him past her guard, just a little bit.

There was a thought at the back of her mind, something screaming at her to pay attention to what it meant, but Papyrus drowned it out – ironically enough.

“CAN I STILL WATCH YOU REFILL, ANYWAY?” he added hopefully, his eyes locked on Alphys's. “EVEN IF YOU DON'T CLEAN MY ROOM?”

Alphys smiled. ‘Shouldn't you know how to clean your own room?’ she asked him.

However, when her hands moved, they went beneath Toriel's nose, and a scent made the Queen stop and glance closer at Alphys, her stomach suddenly flooding with dreaded _and_ happy butterflies. (That was quite a fight, if she went by the nausea that arrived right after.) She eyed her friend closer, and saw something she'd never seen, before.

 _Confidence_.

The Alphys of merely last week would never of been able to do what this Alphys was doing right now: being at ease with a relative stranger (pun intended or not). She acted now as if she knew him like she knew Toriel, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why.

Even if one genius had yet to add it together for herself...

Papyrus beamed at her, looking tickled by her words. “AH, BUT WHY WOULD I DEPRIVE YOU OF HONEST WORK? I CAN MAKE IT VERY BAD, SO YOU CAN SPEND YOUR WHOLE SHIFT THERE…?”

He actually looked hopeful upon saying that, and Alphys felt an echo within herself, one that he caught, too – just barely. When he did, something in him relaxed, too, and he became… even nicer, if such a thing were possible.

“Why don't you come with us to the lockers? All of us are done lunch, I see,” Toriel said this when her eyes landed on the two empty jars on Alphys's cart. “And I’m certain that if any of us are needed elsewhere, our Leader will page us.”

Toriel secretly hoped Gaster had at least heard that, because not much else made her happier than pissing him off using his own idiotic mistakes.

Alphys nodded, but when she moved to take her cart, Papyrus suddenly cut her off and took hold of the handle, instead. When she tried to gently nudge him away, he simply stood taller, and she blushed, confused.

‘Please let me have my cart?’ she tried.

“LET ME HELP,” he answered, his eyes on hers. 

Alphys looked back, feeling that pang and finding that it felt different than Toriel, or even Undyne. There was something deeper within it, something almost visceral, but why couldn't she connect it, yet?

When she couldn't find any words, Toriel said, “You've already had a long week, Alphys. Let him help.”

“I AM VERY GOOD AT IT,” Papyrus said. “IT WAS MY JOB, WHEN I LIVED IN SNOWDIN.”

That had Alphys's attention, so she nodded, instead deciding to walk beside him, in case she needed to take her cart back from him. When he noticed, he grabbed one of her hands, placed it into the crook of his elbow-bone and closed her fingers around it, then went back to the cart. She gripped automatically, and when he was confident in her hold, he started walking, and she easily kept up.

“Tell us more about it,” Toriel suggested. “About Snowdin.”

He was about to, but it was then that Alphys finally connected the dots, and she almost tripped on her own feet. Thanks to Papyrus’s arm, she didn't, but that was the point: his arm kept her on her feet. He was being kind and nice to her, because he was her friend.

He had no idea that she was his sister.

_I’m so stupid! I didn't even think to connect the obvious dots: if he's Gaster’s son, and I'm Gaster's daughter, then…_

_Papyrus is my brother. He's my little brother._

_My new friend is actually my little brother._

Instead of feeling confused, or fearful of such a thing, Alphys instead felt… _warm._ Happy. Wanted, almost. Especially whenever she slowed, and he did, too, to help her catch up – instead of making her chase him to catch up. With him, she felt as if she could find _some_ meaning and purpose in this life, and one that it didn't always have to be predictable and routine.

If anything, the thing she needed least of all was either. The second things started to veer away from both, Alphys was able to see more of what was between them, of a third option she only discovered until now.

All that Alphys had been given, over and over, was further proof that she needed to change: not just her work, but herself.

_I want to get us both out of here, she decided. I want to set us free._

_Maybe we can find a way to bring Papyrus._

_Or we could come back, break in and steal him._

_Or…_

She didn't know.

But she was going to find out, whether she wanted to or not.

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT, ALPHYS?” Papyrus asked her, squeezing her hand, gently.

Toriel looked over at her, noticing eagerness upon Alphys's face when looking at Papyrus, and she finally remembered, too – and jolted, reaching over and interrupting them both.

“Let's save our discussions for a less hectic time,” Toriel advised, just as she heard the lunch bell ring, letting everyone know that there was still work to be done.

The two agreed, and they went.

* * *

sans heard the alarm and sighed, raising his head and looking wearily up up at the clock, making sure it wasn't a hallucination from an exhausted mind.

It wasn't. With a grunt, sans pushed himself to his feet, his eyes on his bookshelf. He walked over and knelt down, finding the book where he knew he would. He pulled it out, finding it a touch musty but no less in good shape, and he shoved it atop the pile of paperwork already amassed on his desk, ready for the next shift.

He hesitated, just in case Gaster did try to page him. But when he did not, and fifteen minutes had passed, he made a choice, gathered up all of that work – and went on his way back to the hangar, book an all.

* * *

Undyne waited until she heard the doors lock before she floated back out, the papers still crumpled in her hand. She kept it held up, to keep them dry, and once she managed to jump back out and wring most of the water out, she sat down at the desk, spread the papers down flat, rearranged them back into order, and read them.

Again, Alphys's had was atrocious, made worse by haste, but Undyne understood it. She would always be able to understand it, simply because it was Alphys.

_”My echoflower,_

_I meant what I said. We are getting out of here. It breaks my heart to leave you, and I don't want to. I want to stay. I want to sleep here. I want to kidnap you tonight, even knowing I’ll fail, so that we could fail together. But we cannot. We need a plan, a good one. You’ve escaped, before, with help, and I can be the one to give it, this time. I’m sure he's suspicious of us, despite barely even mentioning why, but he also prefers to overlook my existence, especially when forced to remember that he's to blame._   
_I'm going home tonight, and I’m going to ask a friend to help me find the way to the True Lab, where I know all of our answers lie. I probably won't be able to get in, but if I know exactly where it is (I no longer remember), then I could find a way to get in. Somehow. I'll find a way. You're not staying here another week, here, Undyne. I'm going to get you out, as soon as I can._   
_I have to go, obviously. I know you want to know sign language, so please ask sans for his book on it. He has one; don't let him lie to you about it. Tomorrow, you and I will go over it, so that you know just enough to be able to speak without sound in order to escape._   
_Don't tell anyone about my gills. Even if they ask you directly. Say nothing, or tell them to ask me, whoever it is. Don't tell anyone about my parentage. As far as you know, I have never had a last name, and never will._   
_I love you so much, Undyne._   
_If you feel scared, if he hurts you, if you're uncertain, read over those words, and know they are true. I am yours, Undyne, both body and soul. I always will be. Do not let anyone make you forget that._   
_I will see you tomorrow night, my love._

_Your Alphy"_

Undyne was crying by the end, especially from those last two words. She could tell that Alphys had hesitated when scribbling them, clearly still a little uncertain, herself, but willing to try.

From the start, Undyne had known that Alphys was passionate. She sang passionately, and she used her body and soul passionately. She was so smart, her mind tucked into myriad different ventures, and yet she still had room to spare for Undyne.

She thought she'd already loved Alphys as much as she could.

Now, she found herself crying from the lie of that, feeling so much more than ever before.

Because Undyne believed her. She believed that Alphys meant what she said, and had every plan to break her out, and run away with her. It made her cry, because it really only had been – _what?_ – three, maybe four days, since they met?

And here Alphys was, ready to give up everything she was, and _had,_ in order to set Undyne free.

Of course Undyne wanted Alphys to run away with her.

But she also was terrified that Alphys would get hurt, would suffer for it, and the thought of that terrified her.

 _And then…_ she thought, _what?_ _We escape, and Alphys runs back to Waterfall with me? Where we'll live forever hunted, without any privacy_?

_How do I know he won't burn Waterfall to ashes while looking for us? How do I know that we won't hurt Toriel, or sans, or anyone else?_

_What if running away only makes it worse? What if we have no choice but to actually return here, because otherwise, he would start to kill people?_

_Where will we run to? Where can we hide?_

_If we find the True Lab, what will that really do with it?_

_Will it help us?_

_Or will it be our tomb?_

Undyne bit her lip, trying to stop crying, but finding that nothing helped. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to catch her crying, so she quickly folded the papers up, pressed them into the palm of one hand, closed it into a tight fist – and then went back underwater, just after turning the radio back to loud.

She kept her hand held above her head, swimming in time with the music, and once she reached the plank, she pulled herself up and tucked the letter within the waterproof bag, beside her underpants.

Then, she allowed herself to simply stop, sit there – and think about what she'd done.

She blushed immediately, even as she felt heat strike her, and she groaned, folding her legs up against her chest and hugging them in place, her forehead pressed into her knees. She closed her eye, feeling slight pain in the left side of her head – clearly, her eye was still healing, evident mostly when she cried – but it wasn't enough to keep her mind away from those thoughts.

 _Oh god…_ she thought, smiling, even as her heart ached. All she had to do was picture Alphys's face – at any time, it didn't matter – and she smiled and felt better. She very carefully brought her fingers up to her lips, licking them carefully, and she shivered, her smile growing sly.

Suddenly, she could relax. She kept her hand in place, remaining curled up, but she allowed herself to fall gently onto her side, so that she could drift off if she needed to.

She listened to the music, and found that many random notes struck her deeply, sometimes turning her on, sometimes making her weep.

Everything reminded her of Alphys.

Stay calm, she told herself, her mind feeling heavy alongside her body. She was still hungry, but knew it could wait. She could still come back. She's assigned here. Surely she'll come back, soon.

And if not, Undyne knew Alphys would find a way to her tomorrow, no matter what.

She could wait that long. She'd waited fourteen years, already, and had been immensely rewarded. Waiting a mere day was nothing.

That allowed her mind to finally calm and quiet down, and she drifted off, smiling faintly as she snored.

* * *

Gaster was floundering.

He had no idea where to go or what to do. Instinct told him to follow his dearest child, but duty told him that he could trust Toriel, regardless, and likely needed to get back to the monitors, lest they do something he needed to see.

Eventually, duty won, and he rushed back to his office, already angry that he'd left it this long. Granted, he'd been watching what he would have likely watched, anyway, and at least could have interfered beyond merely paging someone, but he was still angry.

He'd seen Alphys's face, just for a moment, when she'd walked out of the hangar. He remembered it, now, as he quickly sat back down and adjusted specific screens for maximum visibility.

It had terrified him.

For the first time, Alphys actually wore an expression that belonged only to her mother – and only he knew what _that_ expression meant.

She was in love.

Therefore, she was unstoppable.

Gaster got up and made sure the door was locked, shivering from the mere memory of it.

It had been almost identical to the expression on her face when he saw Alpha for the very last time, right before he fell asleep in her arms.

Right before she threw herself into the Core.

Only, he didn't see suicide in Alphys's eyes. That was the only difference – but it was a big deal. Instead of resigned defeat, he saw ignited focus… no, focused intent… no…

He sat up, his eyes quickly looking for her, before he remembered that they were in the lockers, by now.

 _She looked determined_ , he concluded, his blood like ice within his veins.

_And that's my fault._

_He went very still, then, his eyes unfocused._

_Have I created my own doom, after all?_

He never even got to linger on it, his eyes immediately drawn to the closest movement, and he instantly forgot, the second he saw sans. He frowned, then picked up the PA system and paged for him to go straight to the hangar.

As he watched, sans stopped, sighed, then turned around, going instead back toward the hangar. He made sure sans got in safely and wasn't followed, before his eyes were drawn back to the opposing hallway.

They were coming back.

Gaster's eyes were drawn to Papyrus, despite wanting to see Alphys, first, instead. But he always had to make sure that Papyrus was safe above all, so he did.

He missed it when Alphys suddenly changed her expression, sealing it off completely and snuffing out any hint of past determination.

When he looked back, he blinked, confused by this change.

_Had I seen something that wasn't there?_

_Am I getting tired, or sentimental?_

But then, he frowned, his eyes narrowing.

Alphys was limping.

She was trying to hide it, moving in a way that had her blocked partially by either Toriel or Papyrus – who was pushing her cart, while she used a cane – and sometimes, one hand would touch one side, then the other, flinching a little.

A chill swept through him, then, but he didn't understand why. His mind was still looking for determination, not trying to remember whatever it was this reminded him of. The problems were in the present, not the past, and he kept forgetting that.

_What do I do?_

_Do I send her to the infirmary, or back to the hangar?_

_Do I send her to clean Papyrus's room, and let Toriel walk him around?_

_Or do I send them all to the hangar, and risk everything blindly?_

_No._

He had to make sure Papyrus was safe at all times. There were no exceptions.

He quickly typed in the announcement – it was a long one – before sending it out.

He sent Toriel and Papyrus back to Papyrus's room.

He was about to send Alphys a command to come here, to answer for herself, to explain why she'd looked that way, or if Undyne had hurt her, somehow…

Instead, he found himself sending her back to the hangar, with an addition that kept sans there, too.

He needed to see who was being honest with him – and who wasn't.

 _Now_.


	46. Turn Around

Alphys jumped, stopping in mid-step when she heard her name over the PA, the fake tones of the automated public announcement sent chills up her spin, and for a moment, she felt short of breath, like always. She staggered, grabbing hold of Papyrus's arm quickly, just before she dropped her cane. She felt faint, and for a moment, she was certain that she was about to have either a panic attack or an asthma attack.

Instead, she burst into tears.

Both Toriel and Papyrus were thrown by this, both still slightly preoccupied by what had been exchanged between them, but not enough to ignore Alphys.

Toriel turned around and caught the cane, just as Papyrus caught Alphys. She went pale and her eyes clothes, her breath halting for a moment, and she even felt Toriel touch the front of her apron, looking for her puffer.

But when Alphys sought to take her next breath, instead of being forced to gasp through what felt like the narrowest of straws, she got a normal amount of air, instead. In fact, she inhaled too much too fast, resulting in a shocking snort, one that had her back on her feet from startled surprise, alone.

Her tail went straight and rigid, feeling Papyrus holding her up, but when she felt Toriel touch the side of her mouth, she jerked her face away. Her eyes were wide and blank with shock, but they weren't going dim from suffocation – or the _other_ kind of shock. Instead, she smiled, one hand going up and touching one of her sides. She felt her fingers through her clothes with her gills, barely needing to add pressure at all to do so, and she smiled wider, strangely comforted.

Again, when she felt Toriel try to shove the puffer between her teeth, she pulled back, only this time, her other hand moving up to Toriel's, wincing a bit before managing to take the puffer back, waiting for the cap before closing it and replaced it. (Toriel gave it back after a spot of silence.)

Then, Alphys signed, ‘I wasted his money. He'll be bitchy.’ She did it absently, forgetting that she did it, but even though it showed up clearly on the camera (Gaster didn't understand the complete context), it did her no harm.

Toriel and Papyrus gaped at her rather openly, and that woke her up, making her blush deeply.

‘You were right,’ Alphys explained to Toriel. 'About what I said.'

It was all she needed to say – especially when Toriel noticed where her hand remained. Her eyes flared, but they went to Papyrus.

“We have a problem,” Toriel hissed. “We need to get out of view. _Hurry!”_

Quickly, she handed the cane back to Alphys, who took it and smiled up at Papyrus, gesturing for him to let her go, and he did, smiling back with relief once he saw she was steady.

With this improvement, they resumed walking, and Toriel spoke fast – too fast to be lip-read.

“I know you want to see Undyne,” she told Papyrus, who listened, his smile fading once he understood her. “And I want you to, as well. But he's watching us too closely, and I do not think he will allow any more variations with your routine – especially with what you told me, and especially with me.”

Alphys blinked, looking over at Papyrus questioningly. He wasn't smiling, anymore; he looked _hurt_. He'd hoped that being honest with Toriel would bring him closer to his own freedom – and thus, sans's, too – but this was almost a literal step back.

“At least we can still converse,” Toriel told him. “And freely, once we're within your room.”

Alphys, she noticed, looked glum, too. She still had a lot more she wanted to say to Papyrus – the first, quite obviously, was that she was his sister – but now, she couldn't, not without getting busted.

_But then again, I get to see Undyne, and so soon, too, after I expected to be away from her for at least a day…!_

The thought buoyed Alphys's heart back up, and though she hooked her arm back around Papyrus's, she said nothing to contradict Toriel's words – confirming them to be true.

“There will be another time,” Toriel told them both. “For now, Alphys, remember: you hate Undyne.”

In truth, she was almost relieved that Papyrus would remain in the dark, for now, because she wasn't sure if he could be trusted to be completely discreet, yet.

Alphys nodded, but Papyrus looked horrified. “IS THIS TRUE? DO YOU HATE MY FATHER'S ASSET? IS SHE SO HORRIBLE?”

Alphys felt her eyes refill with tears, and she looked away, unable to sign. She reached up and used those hands to pull his free of her cart, taking it back under her control, as she had to split off from them now, anyway.

Her eyes went to Toriel's, and burned into them. They clearly said: _We_ will _catch up. We_ must _. Tell him the truth._

And Toriel agreed.

Alphys then looked up at her brother – _such a strange thing, that_ – before she hugged him, very lightly, unsure if his boniness meant fragility. He returned it twice as hard, making her laughter almost silent, happy to be corrected so… affectionately…

Toriel's ears twitched when she saw Alphys laughing, because for a moment, it seemed almost as if she'd managed to squeeze a few _real_ laughs out, ones unimpeded by physical damage and trauma, that could be easily heard by anyone…

It made Toriel hope that she was right, something that grew when Alphys smiled at her, then nodded once.

Toriel was about to ask, anyway, but that was when sans turned the corner – and stopped.

“bro,” he murmured, before going right up to him, having eyes for no one else. “what are you doing running around like this?!”

“I WANTED TO MEET THE ASSET,” he confessed easily, before giving his brother a hug of his own.

In the distraction, Toriel tried to move around the brothers, to ask Alphys one thing, but…

…using that same distraction, Alphys had vanished into the hangar, and had locked the door behind herself.

Granted, Alphys hadn't locked anyone _out_ , as she knew that at least Toriel still had a key and could easily unlock it.

But even Toriel knew it wise to give Alphys a moment alone.

To distract the two brothers, Toriel made sure they stayed looking at herself before she said, “Are _you_ going in there? Why?”

When sans answered, Toriel turned him out, instead listening for hints of a clear coast. She would wait, however, until she either got one – or was forced to leave without it.

* * *

About five minutes before the doors opened, again, Undyne felt a mental slap, one that jolted her into sitting up and snapping wide awake, her whole body awash in sudden adrenaline.

Her ears twitched, and she heard the doors close, the sound masking any other sound.

Until—

There was a huge splash, one that came from the shallow end, but it was one that caused no alarm. Undyne was still under the water and swimming toward the source the second she heard it, anyway, her heart skipping and jumping and screaming at her to swim, swim forward, keep swimming, until…

The bubbles cleared, and she suddenly found her face held, before beloved lips sought her own.

Undyne whimpered and grabbed hold, returning the gesture. Alphys - for of course it was she - had forgotten to change her clothes, jumping in fully clothed due to eagerness. It made Undyne laugh against that kiss, and Alphys's tail wagged, happy to make Undyne happy.

“That wasn't so bad a wait, after all,” Undyne whispered after a moment. "I really didn't think you'd be back..." She was going to add "til tomorrow", but didn't, aware that if she did, it would be lying. 

The fact was that she hadn't expected Alphys to return, regardless of what the letter said. Within her voice was her pain, the pain she'd felt when forced to accept a far longer - possibly permanent - wait.

Alphys heard it, her eyes sombre for a moment. Seeing this, Undyne smiled gently, reassuring her that yes, separation had hurt, but now, it seemed almost silly that it had.

Alphys giggled, understanding that rather well, and when Undyne heard it, she shivered and pulled Alphys nearer, wanting to sleep in these arms, her cheek pressed against those soft breasts while her ear pressed over her heart, those giggles alongside her strong heartbeat beautiful enough to be a lullaby all on its own…

But then, Undyne's ears twitched, and she panicked, her hold on Alphys tightening with fear.

Did she grab Alphys and hide with her, or throw her out of the pool soaking wet, and leave her to explain it?

Did it even matter at this point?

Didn't Gaster already know better?

Wasn't it clear to him that this was all lies?

If not, why?

She was already in the deep end with Alphys by the time she'd finished asking herself, making it rather moot. She knew the story was to pretend they hated each other, to assuage suspicion, especially if they planned to escape, but surely Gaster wasn't that stupid, by now. Nothing sans could write would ever make him disbelieve what he'd seen with his own eyes, versus what he could not and could only trust sans with.

But suddenly, she found herself moving, and she had no memory of how or why. She slid underwater with a speed that spoke of exhaustion – but one shoved away by more powerful feelings – and when she looked down, she saw that Alphys had made the decision for her, and had swum (hard work, that: swimming with waterlogged clothing is next to impossible) them both underwater and into the deep end, stopping only once Undyne's back hit the wall – and she had to reach up and stop Alphys, to snap her back out of clear panic.

Alphys couldn't help it. She, too, felt vulnerable all of a sudden. She hadn't realised how… unhappy she'd been, in the span of perhaps an hour – a mere hour. It hadn’t felt that. It had been  _torture_ to be away from Undyne, and she couldn't let go now that she was here.

Once they were still, Alphys pushed closer, curling up against Undyne's chest, before tucking her snout with the curve of Undyne's neck, her arms and legs latching onto her.

Even now, Alphys always expected rejection, despite seeing the way Undyne looked at her, and seeing anything but rejection. She even went still once in place, her heart pounding with fear, and it made her forget how to use her gills for a moment – unaware that she'd been using them all along, without so much as a blink.

But Undyne's arms went around her, one hand going to the back of her head, the other, to the small of her back. Undyne then moved her face down, rubbing her cheek against Alphys's burning one, and Alphys purred softly and nuzzled back, her eyes closing and her smile growing.

A silence fell, one only broken when Undyne heard the doors open, again. Alphys did not; she had yet to learn how to use the water to hear outside of it, but she noticed Undyne's reaction and looked up at her.

“Who's following you in?” Undyne asked her.

Alphys raised her hands between them, making sure Undyne could see, but Undyne grinned, instead shoving her face between them to stop her, and when Alphys's hands curved around Undyne's cheeks, instead, Alphys laughed softly – and heard it, in turn reminding her why.

“sans,” Alphys whispered.

It was getting easier to default to speech instead of signs, of using her voice instead of her hands, and it was hard. If anything, she was amazed that she already had this much control over previously non-existent parts of her own body, given that it had been mere hours – and not the days it felt like. She was even starting to remember how to use tone to express her words, better.

“Right,” Undyne sighed, scratching at her head and shoving her hair free of her eye-socket. “He has to observe us. Do you think, if we ask, again, he'll say yes to helping us, this time?"

Alphys frowned, her eyes going down and to her own hands, thinking. The last impression she'd received from him was that he was angry, and didn't like where things were currently going, and wanted to stop it before it went too far.

_But hasn't it, already?_

_Haven't we reached a point beyond return?_

_Is there really any point to maintaining such a stupid, transparent ruse?_

_Yes._

The answer came easily, and it annoyed her.

_Yes, we must, because we have to get out of here by Friday._

_Otherwise… otherwise…_

_We all die._

“Let's ask,” Alphys offered, moving to go back.

Undyne, however, stopped her, pulling her back and close, before kissing her lips, again. Alphys returned it, her whole body awash in a kind of happiness that she had felt locked out of, for most of her miserable life. This wasn't miserable, and she never wanted to leave these arms.

But in order to have that happen, she needed to free those arms from the shackles that bound them.

Alphys pulled away gently, but Undyne whined and pulled her back, and this time, she lingered.

Just one more…

Another, just in case...

Once again, for good luck...

* * *

sans came in, feeling annoyed and dizzy, walking right into Alphys's cart just as the doors closed, and he growled, the impact hurting several places all at once and none with mercy.

He managed to get free and moved around it, seeing no sign of Alphys – or Undyne – anywhere. Not even clothes or glasses – just her cart. When he put it together, he slumped into the desk, then let his head drop upon it.

She was in the pool, and likely wasn't going to come out of it.

For a moment, sans listened to the radio with his sockets closed, content to just let the music lull him into heavy, brainless sleep, so that he could wake up and find himself back to the week before, only to stop Gaster from finding Undyne at all.

Only… that wasn't right. Or fair.

He _wasn't_ the only one affected by this, and he needed to remember that above all else. He'd promised himself that he wouldn't let himself get suckered into another manipulation, or be guilt-tripped into breaking the rules and getting his ass kicked, again, or force him to put either one in the tube…

His eyes opened, and they went to it, as if pulled by strings.

That tube was something as nefarious as the DTXM, only worse.

At least with the Machine, the damage was easily controlled and contained, and usually focused upon one area. The tube did two things: it filled with water, or it took any drop of water away from whatever – and _whomever_ – it held.

Undyne had been thrown into it when she'd tried to escape – twice. She couldn't drown, so flooding it was pointless. So Gaster used the other setting, and the machine did its job perfectly. Over a set amount of time, while trapped within it, Undyne was forced to feel every speck of water sucked out of her body, leaving her within a hot, dry oven of glass and metal, drying her completely out to the point of near-death.

The first time would have killed her if sans hadn't found her in time. Gaster had been so angry at her audacity to attempt to leave, to do it in such an aggressive way, had him feeling personally insulted. He'd thrown her in there, setting all dials to max, even as she was already weak, and abandoned her.

Only sans cared enough to break her out.

Later, Gaster _did_ thank him, especially for nursing her back to stability, but that was all he said.

He wasn't sorry. He didn't care. Not really.

The second time, however, backfired spectacularly. She took it as well as she could, though of course she suffered and passed out from it. But this time, Toriel let her out, far sooner than sans had, and even though she tumbled out, coughing weakly, her eyes were like uncontrolled bushfire in the hottest of summers. Even as she was again nursed back to health, this time, that bonfire did not go out.

Well, that was how Toriel described it, anyway.

And a week later, she was gone.

He covered his eyes, a thought coming to him and forcing him to, but it made the thought no less true: Undyne, once motivated, was unstoppable. Once she'd decided not to be used, anymore, she meant it, even at personal risk. She didn't care, not until she was freed.

He needed that to be rekindled. He needed that blaze to return.

And he needed it big enough to set them all free, this time – not just her, and not just her and Alphys.

Gaster had once mocked Undyne for her sense of duty, for her refusal to kill, even as she escaped from people who would have gleefully killed her twice over. But sans saw that duty, now, as something useful and good, and hoped that he wouldn't have to resort to manipulation to make it happen. He wanted Undyne – and Alphys – to want to do it, themselves. He wanted them to ask him, to be blunt and demand his help, because he wanted to give it.

Offering anyone help made that helpful person susceptible to the same risks as the one being offered that help, including punishment. If he maintained that he was bullied into it, he could go along with it all he wanted and be free of the fear of putting Papyrus at risk for it. If he pretended to be held hostage for Undyne's freedom, if they failed, he would save face, and likely not be punished any more than he had been, last time.

That was an unpleasant enough thought to make him start to reconsider, but again, his damned heart compared it to what Undyne had suffered – and was suffering, still. He wanted to help Undyne, now. Everything had changed yet again, and this time, he couldn't pretend to ignore it, anymore.

No. The truth was simpler than that.

Gaster has gone too far, and not just within these walls. He knows that law, once it passes – because of course it will, eventually, unless stopped – will ruin the lives of the very Prime Ministers he appointed, himself. It will destroy countless families. It will result in loss of life, needlessly, and all because Gaster likes to fuck around with everyone's feelings…

And with that, sans knew: he couldn't do this, anymore. He couldn't allow himself to just sit here and watch as his father set the entire world ablaze with his careless arrogance. For thirty years, Gaster had been trying to find answers, only to fail, every single time, and pretend that each one was intentional. It was so bad that he was starting over, with complete disregard for the lives he was eager to destroy, and it was too much.

Even a coward like sans had his limits, and Gaster had finally surpassed it.

 _Enough is enough_ , he thought, his eyes empty. _I can't. I won't leave without Papyrus, but I need to get them both out, now. The longer they stay, the higher the risks._

Except… it meant that he had to do something he swore never to do, ever, and break the one promise he'd kept to Gaster, through all of this idiocy and failure.

There was only one place in the world where Gaster would not think to look for two missing people, and the Lab in which Alphys lived was definitely not it. He wouldn't think to look, because only one person in this world had a key to the safest place in the Underground, and not even Gaster trusted himself enough with it.

And just like that, sans's plan finally came together. He'd finally found the missing piece – one he'd had all along – and now, he could finally see the pathway out.

He reached under his shirt, and took hold of a long, thickly-woven cord around his neck. He pulled, and with a pleasant jangle came keys, three in all. All three were different, and all three had spells upon them, forbidding anyone but sans to use them – even Gaster. He never really understood why he was trusted with them, until he asked, just once, and was answered truthfully.

‘ _You're the only one shrewd enough to tell me no,’_ was his father's reply. _‘And I do not trust myself with it, at this time.”_

Now, Sans wondered if there would ever be a time – unless he made one, and not for Gaster.

And just like that, for the first time in a while, Sans felt a smile creep up on him.

One of hope.


	47. Pen of Yarn

The second they broke through the water, they saw sans. He stood right at the edge of the pool, his hands in the pockets of his coat and his eyes dimly stuck on the waters, waiting.

But even though he’d seen Alphys disappear beneath the water - and she hadn't come back up the whole time he'd been there, not even for air - he knew she was still here. He realised he'd forgotten to ask Toriel what Alphys had meant – _What worked? What was supposed to work?_ – and instead had allowed Papyrus to distract him away from it.

Toriel hadn't warned him about any of this, save that if he had trouble writing the reports, he just had to simply take the truth and flip it right over into its own lie.

He hadn't even known why Toriel looked so worried, and yet almost _jealous_ of him, until now. Because now, he realised that he was the first one who got to see the two of them finally interact with each other.

Midnight had felt like months ago, and yet he still could be as naïve as a child.

When they surfaced, the first thing he saw was that Alphys was fully dressed. In fact, he became fixated the second he realised what it meant: Alphys had jumped into the pool fully dressed. She had been _that_ desperate.

And Undyne? He barely recognised her for a moment, as in that same moment, Undyne looked at Alphys, too, clearly noticing the same thing as he – and the expression with which she looked at Alphys when she did…

It was one of pure devotion, of deepest affection.

And when Alphys noticed, their eyes met, they both blushed – and Alphys actually kissed Undyne, right on the lips. Undyne's eye flicked to sans, then darkened and closed, as she clearly began to return it – _all_ of it.

And sans sighed loudly, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. “christ,” he muttered, just like he had mere days ago, when seeing Undyne again for the first time in a decade and more.

Undyne's ears twitched, and her eye opened, before she snorted and broke away from Alphys to burst into laughter. Alphys of course joined in, getting the joke, too, but again, they forgot sans – and sans was glad; he could not look away.

He'd never heard Undyne laugh like _that_ , before – not even as a teen, in her best moods. And at the same time, he'd never seen Alphys's face look _that_ _way_ , before, either. She smiled without shyness, without self-awareness, and when Undyne rewarded her with the same, her eyes filled with warmth and love.

 _“whoa,”_ he muttered, getting their attention without really meaning to. “what the hell did i miss?”

They broke apart, and Alphys raised her hands, looking eager to explain. Undyne, however, laughed and stood up, scooping Alphys up into her arms with her. The waters pulled on them both, bringing up quite a splash, and while sans protested a shower, Alphys simply laughed silently, her eyes closing in her joy.

Undyne jumped from the pool and onto the concrete floor, refusing to let Alphys down – even when she asked.

“No,” Undyne replied. Several times.

Alphys had signed her request, and even though Undyne didn't yet understand it, she still knew what Alphys _wanted_ to say, and answered that, instead.

But her eye had watched each finger and palm, and had memorised what signs would go with which words – and soon, she felt something within her begin to _learn_...

Oblivious, Alphys began to wriggle playfully, trying to slide out of Undyne's arms, but her clothes were heavy and was now draped over Undyne's arms, keeping her rooted in place.

“that'll teach your dumb ass to jump into a pool fully-dressed,” sans snorted.

Both women looked at him with smiles, and such a sight made him again stumble, as if physically shoved by the sight.

Undyne finally helped Alphys to her feet, and the first thing Alphys did was go to him.

 _Does he know?_ she wondered _. I want him to know…_

When her eyes met his, she blinked – and so did he.

“you know!” he accused, losing his composure and pointing at her – literally pointing his finger at her. “who told you?!”

Alphys smiled. ‘That's a long story. My question is: why wasn't it _you_?’

That threw him, and he looked away for a moment, his eyes landing instead on Undyne. She blinked at him, still wringing out her hair, before she tossed it over her shoulder and frowned, putting her hand to her hip – the other remained upon Alphys's shoulder.

“Don't blame me, I dunno what she said!” she told him. "Yet," she added.

Alphys laughed – and this time, sans felt something warm within him, something he hadn't felt in a long time – not without Papyrus.

Happy. Carefree.

 _Genuine_ …

“she asked me why i never told her about gaster,” sans said. When Undyne merely raised an eyebrow, he rolled his eyes. “how could i? he's holding my brother hostage.”

‘Our!’

Alphys's hands snapped in front of his face before he could even add anything, and he stopped, his eyes returning to hers.

“our,” he repeated, and not just for Undyne's benefit. “ah, hell…”

Alphys nodded, her frown softening, and she leaned away. She then looked up at Undyne, who looked back, and when Alphys smiled and flicked her eyes between herself and sans, Undyne nodded and looked back up.

“Listen, sans,” she began. “Alphy and I have been talking, and we've both decided: we ain't staying here, okay?”

Suddenly, that brought their collective moods back down from the clouds.

“then let's talk,” he agreed.

Undyne and sans sat down at the desk, and with a deep blush, Alphys looked down at her clothes helplessly, aware that if she sat down on one of those chairs like this, she risked ruining her clothes. She knew she could ask Toriel to dry them, later, but she also worried there wouldn't be time. She knew she'd need a back-up excuse…

“Alphy?” Undyne called. “C'mere, come sit.”

Alphys shuffled over, watching sans open up his notebook and pen and start a fresh page by dating it. By the time he'd finished, she was standing between them, her hands tangled nervously before her.

Undyne smiled, getting her attention, and once she did, the smile morphed into a grin, and Alphys suddenly felt herself become weightless, then settle back down upon a soft, firm lap: Undyne's.

Alphys went scarlet and hid behind her hands, trembling and desperately trying not to make a sound or move. Her tail was a tight bun behind her, and she felt her heartbeat throughout her entire body. She was soaked, but regardless, she got even wetter…

Undyne threw her head back and laughed, throwing her arms around Alphys and pulling her close, rubbing her cheek against Alphys's hand until it moved. Once clear, Undyne pressed her cheek against Alphys's, and Alphys went still, her body relaxing, just a little. Her hands tentatively lowered to Undyne's shoulders, and when their eyes met, Undyne kissed Alphys's nose, and Alphys closed her eyes, biting down on her bottom lip - _hard…_

The sound of a throat being cleared broke them apart, but only because both were perplexed by such a sound, considering the source of it. sans merely glared at them, waving at his paper.

“i still need _something_ to write, the bullshit i'm gonna send to him,” he reminded them. “and i can't focus on both at once. laugh it up, but fuck you if so; it doesn't make me any less smart.”

When both Undyne and Alphys looked horrified by the thought, he remembered who his audience actually was. He flinched, dropping his pen and rubbing his skull with his palms, closing his eyes.

“sorry,” he mumbled. “it’s neither of your faults. seeing papyrus with the queen threw me so hard, especially since it was clear that she actually had permission; gaster wouldn't of allowed it to continue if otherwise…”

He paused, then added, “mind telling me everything, now? or do you still need me to earn your trust back?”

“You have it,” Undyne answered right away.

He looked up, seeing both her and Alphys nod once he did, and he went quiet, eager to listen in exchange – only Undyne didn't know where to start.

“What do you need to know?” she wondered.

sans stared at her incredulously, and she flushed, wondering if she'd said something stupid – and then wondered how that was even possible. He blinked, realising that she was just as thrown as he was, and he sat back up, grabbing his pen along the way.

“who told you about alphys and gaster?”

“Toriel,” Undyne confessed, surprising Alphys. “She wanted to warn me, in case finding out later would hurt me, and enough to want to leave Alphy.”

“and?”

Undyne bit her lip, then said, her voice small with shame, “I was shocked. I was scared that it meant that Alphy could be cruel, like him, and I couldn't understand how she could come from someone like him.”

Alphys had paled, then signed, ‘I can understand that,’ quite honestly.

“you can understand that?” sans repeated, both for Undyne as well as himself. He was back to incredulity. “after all of this horseshit, you're _fine_ with that?”

‘I never said that,’ Alphys answered.

“She didn't say that last bit,” Undyne said at the same time. “She understands, not agrees.”

Alphys beamed up at her, her tail uncoiling and swaying a little.

Undyne looked down, still looking ashamed, despite it.

“then what changed?” sans asked.

Undyne smiled sadly. “I thought of Alphy. I gave her that last name. And I realised that my feelings not only remained unaffected, but they got _bigger_ , even _better_ , and it was like…”

She hesitated. “I got _mad_. I got more _protective_ , y'know? I just… wanted to love her, anyway.”

By the end, Undyne couldn't speak: her lips were otherwise occupied with those of the one she wanted to love. Alphys's hands shook as they touched Undyne's cheeks, and she kissed back gently, eager to reassure her.

When they broke apart, sans had been about to complain, and the coincidence tickled him, despite everything. They looked back at him, and he smiled in return.

“okay,” was all he said. “and what happened after we left?”

This time, both women felt their bodies react, and both went red and silent, their eyes going to the other's and holding firmly, lips twitching. Undyne's arms tightened around Alphys's waist, and Alphys's hands held Undyne's closer, her tail once more a spiral.

“besides _that_ ,” sans grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Before _that_ , Alphy told me what she wanted me to do,” Undyne managed to get out, her voice squeaking; Alphys felt _very_ nice upon her lap. “And it worked. Toriel knows about the idea, but not that it worked, yet.”

‘Not for sure,’ Alphys agreed.

“know what?” sans answered. “you still left _it_ out.”

Alphys smiled, sitting up taller. ‘I have gills,’ was her reply.

Since sans was not an idiot, and knew more about his sister than even _she_ knew, yet, he understood what that meant – including what it took for them to reach that discovery. His eyes flicked to Alphys's abdomen, from side-to-side, but whenever he thought he saw blood, it either revealed itself to be shadow or a trick of the light.

Alphys smiled up at Undyne for a moment, then looked back at sans. She quickly described what Undyne had done, and sans made sure he understood each gesture. He was writing it down, but mentally instead of physically, and he found the signs easier to memorise than words.

When she finished, sans was so awed that he could barely breathe steadily. He stared at his sister as if seeing a stranger, feeling like she really was one, _had_ to be one, because _his_ sister never took such risks like _that_ , not ever, not even _close_ , not even as a _joke_ …

And yet, he could tell. Something _had_ changed, and it had changed Alphys, the most – something that went beyond gills, if started by them.

“okay,” he murmured again, his eyes closed and his head back in his hands. “and what do you want to do next?”

“’Escape,’” both Undyne and Alphys said at once, and sans slapped a palm to his forehead.

“no shit!” he replied, raising an exasperated hand. “gonna need a bit more, here. “

‘We want _all_ of us to escape, sans,’ Alphys said. Undyne watched her every move, especially grateful whenever sans translated aloud verbatim; she happily learnt more and more.

Which reminded both him and Alphys of something, even before she went on. sans held up a hand, his eyes focusing, before he leaned down and grabbed a book he'd kept hidden in his coat. He held it out to Undyne, and she took it, confused at first, until she saw the title.

_Basic Sign-Language (Canadian – English), Volume One._

Undyne suddenly felt her entire soul soften, the second she had the book in her hands, and her eye went to his, surprising him by how grave she looked.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice almost husky in its softness, but she didn't know what else to say.

It meant a lot, meant more than he knew, and she wanted to make sure he _did_ know – once she was able to word it, anyway. She knew it wasn't going to be easy for him, and she really _was_ putting a lot on his shoulders, especially with how much he knew...

But now, she was simply trying not to cry, in order to keep from embarrassing him.

But sans had walked in already set on betraying his father one final time. He'd locked the door with the intention of giving both of them a map of the hangar and the land surrounding it, and where they could find the Lab from there. He'd set up his desk with the papers he needed with the sole focus on breaking both himself and his brother out of here, as well as these two. And he’d waited for them to surface with the acceptance that, once he left the hangar for the night, nothing would ever be able to be the same, again – and after a decade and a half of nothing _but_ the same, too.

_Not anymore._

The way Papyrus had looked at sans before they'd parted, the way his eyes had followed sans's as he and Toriel rounded the corner back to his room, hadn't lit these fires, but he certainly had helped keep those flames contained. Papyrus's well-being would always go together with sans's peace of mind, and the brother he'd seen tonight was… almost _depressed…_ especially when he’d realised that Alphys had left him behind.

“does he know, alphys?” sans asked her, getting both her and her lover's attentions. When she frowned, he clarified. “papyrus. does he know anything?”

‘He knows he doesn't belong here,’ Alphys agreed.

When Undyne heard sans repeat this, she looked up with a slight head-tilt. “Who?” she asked.

“my brother—our! _our_ bro--! _fuck, ow!_  christ, _our_ , sorry, _get them out!”_

Alphys had sunk her claws into sans's arm, and he slapped at her until she was satisfied, and she pulled them free.

Undyne swallowed a laugh, but Alphys still saw it in her eye, and she was happy.

 _“our_ brother,” sans repeated, glowering at his sister. “he came in with you, undyne. he was born the year you escaped.”

Alphys felt a sinking in her stomach, and she lost her mirth. ‘sans,’ she signed slowly, and this time, sensing her mood, he kept what she said to himself. ‘Was he also brought in… when I was experimented on…?’

But sans was already shaking his head. “after,” he corrected. “he was born not long after you were hired.”

Alphys sat stuck by this. _He'd been pregnant, when he interviewed me?_ she thought, feeling almost dizzy with the absurdity of it all. _How did I miss_ that?!

Undyne leaned back a little, tucking the book under the waistband of her swimming shorts. “Wait. So I escaped, and your dad got knocked up? And then, he finds me, now, and your brother is brought in, too? I don't get it. Why?”

“to make me behave, this time, remember?” was sans's reply. “he knows that experimenting on papyrus would kill me. he knows how much i love him.” His voice wavered and he cleared his throat. “he's my collateral.”

“Okay, so then, Gaster knew I was gonna try and escape? Did he plan on getting knocked up? And who was the sire, then?” Undyne wondered.

She then noticed that each question she asked made Alphys's cheeks grow paler and paler, her eyes slowly glossing over with fear and dread. She was mentally answered each question, and it made her feel sick.

‘He didn't know,’ Alphys said slowly, her eyes still unfocused. ‘They didn't plan it. There's no way such a thing would have been done that way if it had been a back-up plan!’

“explain,” sans urged, once he finished translating.

It was getting to the point that Undyne was starting to hear Alphys speak when he translated, remembering how she sounded underwater and calling it up to cover sans's voice – and it worked.

Almost _too_ well.

_Indeed._

‘Mother and her partner – Gaster, sorry – had bet the farm on me, sans,’ she explained. ‘They had sunk _everything_ into me, though why, I have no idea. When I failed, they hadn't expected it, at all.”

Alphys closed her eyes for a moment, old pain cracking to let loose new blood.

‘I failed, Mother attacked me, and I was sent to the hospital, where I was then abandoned as a ward to the state - of Gaster's. After that, I got a letter from--,’ she flicked her fingers for the airquotes, ‘—”the government”, telling me that my mother was confirmed dead, and I was discharged. I went back to the Lab... But no, what happened to them…?’

Undyne kept silent, as though scared of spooking both of them, when she felt like _she_ wanted to bolt, instead. There was so much that she hadn't known about, and yet once she heard it and accepted it, she found it actually made sense to parts of her life that never had until then. Layers and corners of memory and knowledge were unravelling within her, and she had no idea how to word it without using her soul to speak. So she stayed silent, keeping it within her until she could.

“they went back to the _true_ lab,” sans told Alphys. “she left him _there,_ after – well, after papyrus was made, I guess – and left behind a suicide note for him. he burned it,” he quickly added, when Alphys looked hopeful, and that hope was dashed. “never told me what it said. but after, he pretended nothing had changed – save two things.”

Undyne was afraid to hear them, and she almost told him to stop, but when Alphys nodded, she remained quiet, instead focusing on Alphys, making sure she was okay - and holding it all within her soul.

“the first was that he gutted both labs and took most of the equipment to the hangar, save a few things here or there, then sealed the true lab.”

 _And gave me the key,_ he added silently. He wanted it to be a surprise, of course.

“the second was, of course, papyrus, himself.”

Alphys nodded, her eyes lowering for a moment. She swallowed, then reached under her glasses and rubbed her eyes, sniffling.

Undyne curled around her more, and to her delight, Alphys snuggled deeper into her arms. She had read Alphys's signals right, after all, and Alphys was rewarding her.

“now, i already have a plan,” sans went on. Again, he dashed their hopes before they could arise. “but it only works once we get out of here. and i don't know how to do that, yet.”

Alphys was still for a moment, thinking hard, so Undyne finally decided to try and speak, herself; anything she failed to get out, she would share intimately with Alphys, later.

“What if he finds out that he actually succeeded, and before we can escape?” she asked. “That he has _three_ Boss Monsters, all in one place, and now he can breed even _more_ , willing or not. What are we gonna do to possibly stop that? He owns our  _entire world!_ We have nowhere to run to! How can you have a plan once we're out of here--?”

Alphys reached up and covered Undyne's mouth, silencing her. She jerked her head away, annoyed, but Alphys bit her lip, her hand hovering but not moving back. She instead used it to speak.

‘ _We_ don't need to worry about that part; that's what sans is saying,’ Alphys explained. Having to explain sans's words, while sans explained her own, was not lost on her. ‘He has that part covered. We have to trust him.”

Undyne felt fear snake through her, again. Despite it all, she did trust him, and she wanted to prove it by following through with this.

But she was no less scared. “What _is_ your plan, then?”

“it depends on _how_ we get out,” he reported, annoying her. “there _is_ more than one option.”

‘Lucky for us,' Alphys added.

“and that was before i even knew about the gills thing. With that, i can come up with _more_.” He shrugged. “i'm just too stupid to find a _way_ out. i can't smell the cheese.”

‘Well, _I_ have a keen nose, and _you_ don't,’ Alphys attempted to tease, hoping for at least an eye-roll. ‘I will use it to find what you cannot. I'll look for a way out.’

“Not alone,” Undyne corrected. “I--,”

But she went silent, flushing with embarrassment. “We're supposed to hate each other,” she reminded Alphys - _and_ herself.

“and _you_ can't even leave here,” sans told Undyne, and she sulked a little, knowing it was true. “if anything, that's _better_.”

Undyne frowned. “I don't like how you said that.”

Before they could fight, Alphys suddenly waved her hands in front of them, shutting them both up. 'Okay! Are there more questions, sans? For either of us?’

sans looked at her closely for a moment, quiet.

Then, he said, “are you sure this is a good idea?”

Alphys gritted her teeth, and Undyne sighed. “What, you want me to die?” she demanded of him. “You want your brother to rot in here, too? Of _course_ it's a good idea! _We can't stay here!”_

Alphys nodded. ‘sans, look at me. I can't go back, now. I can't pretend this is nothing. I don't care about this job, anymore. I only care about the people I love, and… am _starting_ to love,' she concluded, smiling shyly.

“okay,” he replied, trying to steady his voice. He looked at Undyne. “would you be up to meeting papyrus? he's desperate to meet you.”

“Me? Why?” she wondered.

‘Because his life is tied to yours, like mine is to his, and mine to yours and sans,’ Alphys told her.

This time, Undyne realised she was starting to recognise how names worked; ‘sans' was signed as ‘elusive skeleton', and she loved that.

Plus, Alphys was right: Like it or not, all of them were connected, and had been for at least fifteen years – perhaps longer. Once they escaped, they could finally… _live_. _Have_ lives. Enjoy life of their own…

“Yeah,” she agreed. “Okay. If _you_ like him, Alphy, then I probably will.”

Alphys beamed at her, again, delighted, and Undyne felt her fear back off, especially when she hugged Alphys tightly against her chest, making her squeak – but also giggle silently, her tail a blur.

This time, sans didn't say a word. Instead, he smirked, then grabbed his notebook and hunched over it, starting to scribble. Both women watched him write, reading over his shoulder. By the time he was done, even Undyne was impressed, and Alphys started to feel better.

Eventually, they started helping him out, adding to his already-clourful lies, spinning thick weaves of tales, making them truthful enough to throw doubt on their falsification.

They had no idea that, by the time it was signed, they had also sealed their fate.

For good… and for bad.

But not yet.


	48. Truths and Lies

Deciding to spend time with Papyrus that day turned out to be the most important decision that Toriel would ever make.

Once she'd been let in and the door had closed behind them, Papyrus went to his bed and laid down into it with a groan, followed by a laugh.

Toriel smiled, the sound infectious. She noticed how… _full_ the room was, and found herself growing very curious, indeed.

“What is funny?” she asked, first, leaning on her cart in order to listen to him without moving around.

Papyrus threw his arm over his eye sockets. “OF ALL THE THINGS I IMAGINED WHILE BEING HERE, HAVING THE FORMER QUEEN OF THE UNDERGROUND HAD NEVER EVEN COME _CLOSE_ TO COMING UP.”

Toriel smiled wider. “Isn't it grand that life is so full of surprises?” she replied.

He laughed again, but this time, it sounded easier. He lowered his arm and sat up, leaning against the head of the racecar bed, one stuffed with books and action figures. Over it hung a skull and crossbones flag, a clear attempt at trying to hide the industrial walls. It worked, but only on that side; the others, aside from the doorway, were empty save bookcases, two to each wall; they, too, were also full of things. He also had a kind of portable closet, a little cube that could be used to hang up clothing, but it was empty save an extra pair of boots.

The floors were clear, save near the TV, where there were several notebooks and pencils. Some were opened and displayed rather good drawings.

But at the same time, Toriel didn't really see much to _clean_. He'd been so adamant about it that she'd expected his room to be more like Asriel's used to be when he was the same age. She probably could wash down the walls and dust everything, but it looked well-kept, already.

“You have brought me to a workless job, Papyrus,” Toriel added, propping her chin up on her hand, an eyebrow raised. “Did you have an ulterior motive?”

Papyrus went still, then looked away, rubbing the back of his skull shyly with his gloved hand. “SORRY,” he blurted out. “I JUST NEEDED TO TALK TO YOU. _MORE_. ABOUT WHAT WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT, BEFORE. AND…”

His hand dropped into his lap, and his eyes stayed locked on the wall. “ALSO…” He paused, then turned to look at her, again. Somehow, his perpetual grin did little to hide his seriousness. “IT'S TRUE…? ALPHYS… SHE _IS_ MY SISTER…? _HOW?”_

Toriel lowered her hand, too, before she moved from the cart to kneel beside his bed and look up at him, her hands on her knees.

He met her gaze, and she smiled kindly. “In truth, Papyrus, I had hoped that _you_ could answer some of those questions for _me_.”

He blinked. “I CAN TRY,” he admitted.

Toriel closed her eyes for a moment, then bit her lip. This wasn't fair. This wasn't at all fair. Nobody deserved this, and yet here someone was – and someone who deserved it the least, too. She hated it, but there was nothing she could do. He was Gaster’s son, and Gaster was clearly invested in him.

Gaster did not deserve Papyrus. At all. He did not deserve someone so honest and sweetly naïve, so well-being and genuinely likable. He reminded her so much of Alphys, and yet even Alphys could never look _this_ happy (she _thought)_ , let alone _act_ this carefree…

Papyrus blinked, then, before he quickly got to his feet and held out a glove to her. “I'M SORRY,” he stammered, looking it. “YOU SHOULD _NOT_ SIT ON THE FLOOR…”

He led her to a chair she was told sans preferred best, one between the TV and the bed, and once she had sat down, she understood why, and that made him laugh and look pleased. He sat back down on his bed, looking far more relaxed, and therefore, she decided to, as well.

“YOU DON'T NEED TO CLEAN ANYTHING,” he finally revealed with a shy smile. “FATHER KEEPS IT IMMACULATE FOR ME, ALREADY.”

“He does it all, himself?” She doubted it.

But Papyrus nodded, looking like an exasperated parent instead of an embarrassed teenager. “USUALLY WHILE I'M ASLEEP. I KNOW IT'S HIM BECAUSE I ASKED, AND HE NEVER LETS ANYONE IN HERE, EXCEPT HIMSELF AND SOMETIMES SANS.”

He paused. “AND NOW YOU!”

Toriel smiled wryly. “I wouldn't count on this becoming a regular thing, dear,” she told him as gently as she could.

He seemed to already know that, however. His smile became sad. He was quiet, clearly deciding whether or not to speak, so Toriel remained so, too.

“WILL I GET TO MEET _HER_?” he chose. He had more questions, of course, but didn't know how to ask them, yet.

“I hope so,” Toriel sighed, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes.

She didn't add anything, however, as this was similar to yesterday, and she wanted him to tell her as much about Gaster as possible – but of his own accord. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but more that she would never trust _Gaster_ , and she knew how easy it was for him to manipulate others.

 _Especially for whom he loves, and is loved by in return,_ she concluded, something about that unsettling her.

“Papyrus,” Toriel murmured. “Would you like to talk more about what we did the other day?”

Papyrus looked up at the ceiling, feeling a deep yearning fill him, wishing it looked like a different ceiling…

“YES,” he whispered.

“About your father.”

“YES.”

When he didn't add or expand, Toriel nudged him verbally. “You told me that you're worried about him.”

“I AM.”

“It was because of the law he snuck by me, wasn't it?” she realised slowly, her voice close to a whisper. “You know what it means. What it will likely lead to. And what I must do in reply.”

Papyrus closed his eyes. “I COULDN'T TELL YOU.”

“I am not angry at you,” Toriel answered honestly. How could she be mad? It wasn't _his_ fault. “Do you know of anything else you _can_ tell me?”

Papyrus looked over at her, interested by that wording. She wasn't asking him what he wanted to tell her, but what he _could_ ; what he could say that would help, but without incrimination.

“I'M SCARED,” he confessed. “I DON'T KNOW IF HE LOVES ME, ANYMORE. NOT IF I'M HERE.”

Toriel blinked, her expression calm, and he couldn't help but trust her. “I BEG HIM TO GO HOME EVERY TIME I SEE HIM. HE REFUSES. TELLS ME HE NEEDS ME HERE.”

When she said nothing, Papyrus felt his soul jump in fear. “CAN YOU TELL ME? IF…? IF HE WILL KILL ME, SOON?”

Toriel shook her head. “He will not, as far as I can see,” she confirmed. “He…” She silently apologised to sans, then said it. “He has brought you here to keep sans obedient, because he helped me release Undyne last time she was here. Remember?"

Papyrus slowly sat up, his expression dismayed. He shook his head, but she nodded.

“I'M… COLLATORAL?” he repeated. "IN TRUTH? I MEAN... I KNOW YOU SAID IT TO ME, ALREADY, BUT... I HONESTLY LAUGHED IT OFF, BECAUSE OF COURSE MY FATHER WOULD NEVER DO THAT IF HE LOVED ME..."

It sounded awful when put that way, but it was absolutely true.

“Yes,” Toriel agreed weakly. “sans is terrified that he will hurt you if he disobeys. He sees no jest in it. But, Papyrus…” She smiled. “It's an empty threat, dear. The truth is that your father loves you too much to put you at harm. He just wants sans to do what he is told. That is all. Or did you doubt that, too?"

Papyrus was silent, his expression so conflicted that it was unreadable. He couldn't control that; his mind was full of confusion. He _was_ being used?

_By my own father, in order to make sans do whatever he's told, no matter what he is ordered to do…?_

“WHAT IS HE DOING THAT REQUIRES SUCH OBEDIENCE…?” he whispered, not expecting an answer.

But Toriel answered him. And in doing so, there was no going back.

She told him everything, and he finally knew it to be true.

And he answered.

* * *

Undyne was laughing so hard that tears ran down her bright red cheeks, her arms around her stomach and her head thrown back.

Alphys quickly grabbed what she held before she crumpled it, reading it for herself. Her eyes grew wider and wider the longer she read it, before she finished, and they went to sans's.

He grinned, shrugging. “what can i say?” he offered. “my last name _is_ gaster.”

Alphys slapped the paper down, her face alight and red with barely held-back laughter. ‘You're actually going to send that to him?!’ she signed shaking.

“the queen said to write the exact opposite, right?”

“It's genius!” Undyne cackled, brushing her tears away. “It'll throw him off and get him to leave us alone for good!”

sans nodded, folding it up and tucking it into an envelope. “he'll get it within the hour,” he reported.

But then, the doors started to open. Undyne jolted, jumping to her feet and scooping Alphys up into her arms, before she darted back to the pool – and jumped into it, both disappearing beneath the waters yet again.

Alphys clung to Undyne, not even upset. She wasn't worried. She knew she probably should be – it could have been Gaster – but it was hard to care when safe within Undyne's strong, beloved arms.

However, it was Toriel who came in, dragging her cart in behind her like bringing it was a mere afterthought. She shoved it in and closed the doors, and as it skidded across the room, she cried out, “I have it! I have the plan!”

The cart hit the side of the pool, the sound careening through it lime a shockwave, and for a moment, Undyne was scared, her eye going quickly up and to the surface, terrified of seeing the tip of that electrical tube…

But then, a hand broke the surface, and Alphys blinked, shocked by what she was experiencing: information. By using her gills, she could smell through the water, and she knew immediately who it was.

“Toriel!” she blurted out, and Undyne blinked, using her own gills to confirm it. She then peered down at Alphys, looking very impressed, but Alphys didn't notice, instead pointing up. With a wild grin, Undyne tightened her hold and moved back up.

When they again surfaced, Toriel gaped at them, then sighed and looked exasperated.

“Add an excuse about the clothes,” Toriel advised sans over her shoulder, and Undyne laughed.

"waaay ahead of you," sans replied happily.

For a moment, there were hugs, especially between Alphys and Toriel – who was now finally able to reveal her gills, the entire reason for these new changes, something that made Toriel's eyes fill with happy, surprised tears.

“I have a plan,” she then told them, stopping even Undyne.

“Tell us,” Undyne demanded.

Alphys smiled up at her, to calm her, before nodding to Toriel in agreement.

She added, ‘We need _only_ a plan, after all!’

“Well, thanks to your brother, we now have them both,” Toriel agreed, her eyes sparking with joy and hope.

She was so _sure_ , so _certain_ , so _alight_ with that hope, that she believed it completely, forgetting to healthily doubt, to question, to _ensure_ …

Instead, they made their plan, one so perfect and flawless that there was no chance of it failing.

But it both did – and did not.

And no one knew better until too late.

* * *

_”Today was a nightmare. Alphys was already wary of coming back here, and she had every reason to. The second she showed herself at the water, Undyne made a grab for her – and dragged her underwater. She's fine, she's okay; she just needed a moment to calm down, after. It's why her clothes were so wet when she left, if you saw that when she left. Undyne brought her back up when I yelled, and the second I got Alphys out, Undyne got angry, and Alphys got upset. Honestly, it was so horrible that I've bleached my brains of it, because I never expected such a thing. The entire time she was here, Alphys had to listen to Undyne snarl abuse at her. And since Undyne doesn't know sign language and thinks it stupid, Alphys didn't bother trying to defend herself. It got to the point that we had to separate them; Alphys needed to stay at the desk with me until Toriel got there to pick her up for the night. There was barely enough time for her to clean up the messes that Undyne caused before they had to leave, and once they did, I questioned Undyne, demanded to know what her problem was, and why she was being so cruel to Alphys, when before they seemed like lovers! She admitted that she didn't know; that when she saw Alphys, she felt anger, enough to act on it, and she didn't know why. She felt regretful for what she'd done, almost as if she barely knew she did it. I don't think punishing her will help; it seems like something completely out of her control. I don't think she even wants to feel that way, but does. She cried, upset, before she blamed me and vanished. She was still underwater when the lights went out. If you need me, I will be with Papyrus. I await further instruction.”_

Gaster stared.

The words didn't change, nor did the piece of paper in his hands. It was one crumpled, riddled with water drop stains and hasty handwriting, one that was clearly a struggle to write.

He knew what sans said _had_ to be true, because sans was right: he had seen Toriel rush to the hanger, and then saw her leave with a very distraught-looking Alphys, who wept as she walked, needing to use her cart to stay on her feet.

He'd had his doubts about sans's honesty because he'd seen what sans had seen, and agreed that they'd been like lovers when he'd last seen them.

He wanted to keep believing that sans was lying, that he was missing something major, and that he should see it for himself before making any decisions on the matter.

But that was before he had read _this_.

He took the first report and read it, too, then re-read the new one, and he couldn't ignore the evidence. There _was_ a clear pattern, here, one that spoke of a connection – but one that had gone sour.

 _Neither want that,_ Gaster thought, frowning at the letters. _I saw it. And Undyne's regret makes that even more clear._

_I was mistaken._

_Or, perhaps, we all were, and have only discovered it, now?_

Was this a good thing, to discover this, now? Before he thought up any further plans?

 _If they hate each other,_ he reasoned, _then there would be no point in continuing as I have planned._

 _Maybe in going ahead of schedule, I can somehow renew that initial connection,_ he thought, though even he wasn't sure why that would be a goal. _And if it separates them for a while, I can see how both fare without the other._

He sighed, rubbing his eyes, before he read the reports one more time, then scribbled notes of his own on the backs of them, before filing them.

 _Tomorrow_ , he decided. _I'll give them one more chance._

 _If they waste it,_ he concluded _,_ feeling better, now, _then all's the more fun for me._

Hubris had whipped him good.

But he wouldn't be the only one in the end.


	49. Here We Are

Alphys leaned into Toriel as they walked. She was exhausted, and it went beyond just a busy day at work. Toriel seemed to know, and made sure both of Alphys's hands remained on her forearm as they reached the lockers.

Toriel gave her the time she needed.

Alphys slumped down onto the bench, leaning forward and covering her face with shaking hands, bending over and closing her eyes, her tail wrapping around her waist. She purposefully made sure it touched both sets of gills, as doing so helped cut down on the air exposure, in turn making them less painful and sensitive.

She shivered, and for a moment, she forgot where she was.

Her shift was mere hours long, and yet she knew she had done no work to earn her money, this night.

Instead, she'd been completely selfish, to the point of… of _actually_ …

She squirmed, her whole body flushing hot, to the point that she felt her skin burn. She hoped it wasn't visible; she was upset, enough...

Toriel noticed her friend's blush and assumed it was from discomfort, and gave her space, using the time to open her own locker – and pause, staring into it for a moment as though lost.

All of a sudden, Toriel's instincts were telling her to pack up all her belongings from her locker right now, this morning, even if she still returned, tonight, to put it all back.

She just knew, somehow, that she had to do it, and she never doubted her instinct.

She reached to the top shelf and grabbed a large, empty canvas bag – placed there for this reason – and got to work, turning her brain off, in order to make it go by without hesitation.

During this, Alphys slowly managed to calm down, barely able to open her eyes for long before thinking of what had happened. But slowly, she managed it, and using her cane, she got up and went to her locker, leaning against it as she opened it.

The first thing she did was take out the broken puffer from her apron's front pocket, noticing that while it was deeply cracked and ruined, it was still in one piece, and the medicine cartridge remained unharmed.

It _could_ be salvageable, but why bother? She didn't need it anymore, right?

 _I don't_ , she slowly understood, amazed. _I really don't need it, anymore._

She placed it on the back shelf, then went to put on her coat, but it was then that Toriel interfered.

“Alphys, I think you should clean out your locker.”

Alphys blinked up at her with surprise as well as confusion, and she frowned, shaking her head. She knew she wasn't fired, yet, despite all that she'd done - or not done; why would she need to quit?

‘I’m staying,’ she told Toriel, but again, Toriel shook her head.

“I know that, but pack it up, anyway, okay? I…” She sighed, rubbing her forehead. “I feel very uneasy, and have done so, myself. Especially since the week is starting to near its end.”

Alphys felt a sinking in her gut. That was true. The plan was to escape before Friday, before Gaster started using Undyne, again, and she couldn't allow that to happen. The idea of it made her feel terrified, to the point of not even being aware that it made her feel woozy until she was sitting down and counting her breaths.

“It's going to be alright,” Toriel murmured from beside her, rubbing her sweaty back. “We have done a great deal of progress, tonight; I have no doubt we will be out before then. But just to make it easier, pack up your locker, but pretend you still need to use it, okay? I will, too.”

Alphys eventually agreed, and with Toriel's help, managed to get her pithy amount of possessions into her backpack. Some she had to carry, like an extra coat and a few scarves and hats, but it was okay; she didn't mind the extra warmth.

When done, they walked out together, but each step made Alphys feel desolate and lonely. Each step she took was one more away from Undyne, and she was terrified of that, and felt as much.

So much could happen in half a day, so much she could miss without ever meaning to.

If something happened to Undyne, she _would_ know, now, but be unable to do a thing, save suffer alongside her.

Alphys was in tears by the time they were outside.

As usual, Asgore stood waiting for Toriel with coffee and a treat, but to Toriel's surprise, there was a stranger beside him, one she'd never met in her life – after being so certain that she knew everyone, too.

She stopped, at the same time moving Alphys behind her, before her eyes met the stranger's.

She glared. “Who are _you?”_ she demanded.

But Alphys squirmed out from behind her and smiled, her heart lifting once she saw who it was: Mettaton, in his automation – _android_ , Alphys corrected herself, _that's the word they use, now_ – form. He looked at her with such easy confidence that her tears started anew, and she flung herself at him before Toriel could even ask, hearing her friend both cry and try to laugh.

She knew: he'd merged with it.

But when Mettaton wrapped his arms around Alphys's waist, her whole world flashed white-hot with bright pain from both sides, and she went rigid, the pain so sharp that it stole her breath. Her eyes flared – before darkening and closing, and she sagged in Mettaton's embrace.

It was obvious that Alphys had fainted, but not why. Yet.

Mettaton looked mortified, quickly moving away to kneel down and take better hold of her, in order to rouse her awake. Toriel knelt down beside him, and Asgore stood behind her, calmly waiting for instruction.

Toriel tried to explain, but Mettaton was deaf to her; all he saw was his fallen friend. He quickly laid her down on her back, then moved a hand over her body, checking her eyes, mouth, throat, and chest, but saw nothing amiss – until his eyes landed on one of her sides.

There, staining her shirt, was blood, slowly seeping into her shirt and spreading to the back. He checked the other side and saw the same, and quickly, forgetting everyone, he unbuttoned the front of her shirt and started to part it, to see inside.

Toriel had not been idle; she’d tried to speak to him through it all, tried to explain it to him, but only Asgore listened. She soon went silent, watching this person and how deeply he was caring for Alphys, and she finally got it: this was the same person whose form had been a box, the one who’d carried Alphys home, yesterday.

From that, Toriel knew that she could trust him, so she did, and did not interfer with his exam.

Mettaton had finally found the problem(s), and his eyes went as wide as they could go, one hand going over his mouth in shock. He shook his head, then quickly pulled Alphys's shirt closed and buttoned it before anyone else saw.

Then, once she was cradled in her arms, all Mettaton said was, “I think we should come over for tea, to talk.”

He said it to Toriel, and he said it so calmly – so _easily_ – that Toriel was nodding before she even knew it.

Asgore looked over at her in question, but when she nodded and gave him a reassuring smile, he relaxed.

“It's this way,” Toriel said.

Mettaton gently scooped Alphys up into his arms, making sure she was resting against him comfortably, before he slung her bags over his shoulders and went to the Dreemurrs' sides.

They walked home in complete silence.

* * *

Alphys was amazed.

Toriel's house was more beautiful than she could ever imagine a house to be, despite it being rather on the modest side for people with their status, deposed or not.

But to Alphys, it was like a _mansion_.

She sat up slowly, hissing a little when she felt that a bit of cloth had got stuck in her gills, drying alongside blood and pus. She pulled the bits out carefully, but her eyes were still on the house – even as Mettaton's landed on Alphys's side, and her actions.

“Are you going to explain what’s going on, Alphys?” he asked her softly, as Asgore unlocked the front door and called for his children.

She looked up at him, then nodded, smiling faintly. She wasn’t sure how much he wanted to know – or how much she should say – but she would still try to explain as much as she could.

Mettaton carried her in behind Toriel, keenly aware of her children's eyes on both guests. When Mettaton gently placed Alphys upon the nearest couch, she immediately leaned sideways and into it, then closed her eyes, suddenly feeling like she was nothing but dead weight.

Then, in seconds, she began to snore. She was asleep.

Mettaton stayed with her, trying to rouse her, but Toriel and Asgore brought their children into the kitchen.

“Mom--,” Chara began, their face bright red with anger, but Toriel raised a hand, nodding. She knew that Chara hated strangers, and especially so when in their home without consent. But from Toriel's look, Chara quieted, as clearly, they had consent – their mother's. Chara closed their mouth waited patiently for an explanation, instead.

Asriel was shaking. “Mom,” he whispered. “Dad, are we in trouble with him? Is that why--?”

Toriel shot him a quiet glare and he shut up, going as red as his sibling.

But she shook her head. “They're here because it's time for us to fight back.”

Asgore's eyes went to hers, and they focused – perhaps for the first time in thirty years.

 _“What?!”_ Chara cried, unable to stay silent at this. “Mother, are you insane?! We can't fight back--!”

“Alphys is a Boss Monster. And so is Undyne.”

Even Asgore started, his eyes flaring wide and boring into his wife's, almost as if to beg her to pretend otherwise.

She shook her head; it was the truth.

And strangely, he was glad, despite himself.

“It happened recently. And because of it, Alphys's NDA has been deemed effective. Anything she says about our jobs will _not_ go back to him – her friend confirms this - but it's not the same for me. And that's important, because we have a _lot_ to say. Especially Alphys.”

Asriel suddenly stepped forward, his eyes flashing bright, his expression almost the same as his father's.

 _That's the son I raised,_ Toriel knew proudly.

“Tell us what we need to do,” he begged.

“Do not say a word about my job,” Toriel told them carefully, making sure they knew. “Let Alphys sign and let Mettaton translate, but reply without specifics; Alphys will understand. Through this, we'll be able to tell you our plan – and why I need to endanger the three of you in order to make it happen - and put an end to this farce."

Chara raised their head suddenly, their reddish-brown eyes going to Toriel's and silencing her. _There_ , she saw the child she'd raised beside Asriel, and her breast swelled with pride.

 _She_ knew Chara wasn't a coward, even if _they_ didn't.

“I want to do this, too,” they said sharply. “Forget what I said. I want this to end, too. This can't be our fate, Mother!”

With a wise smile, Toriel led her family into the living just as Alphys opened her eyes – and remembered where she was.

Alphys felt exhausted, still, like she needed to sleep for an entire day, and even with Toriel's help, she fell back asleep twice, even when she saw who was before her.

She knew why, and it was part of why she didn't fight it: she _wanted_ it to happen, again. She wanted to connect to Undyne, and knew she was falling asleep because Undyne was either the same way, or already asleep.

But then, her eyes suddenly met Toriel's instead of Mettaton's, and they cleared. She raised her head from Mettaton's hands, slowly shaking her head and waking herself up completely.

Mettaton pulled away, and she leaned back, but stayed awake.

“Alphys,” Toriel said softly, “we would like you to begin.”

Alphys stared at her, swallowing hard. She cast a frightful look to Mettaton, one hand going to one of her sides shakily, before she bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment, nodding.

The plan, she reminded herself. Tell them the plan.

She raised her hands, opened her eyes, and began.

* * *

Undyne floated, waiting for the lights to shut off before turning the radio back on and putting the volume up high, in order to ignore anything else above the water. She let herself slowly drop to the bottom of the deep end with a long sigh, and when she touched it, her eye closed.

 _The plan,_ she thought suddenly, her mind sluggish with exhaustion and satisfaction. _Go over the plan._

It was a good idea, she knew.

Now that she was alone, she was afraid to think on her own. Her thoughts would lead her to Alphys, and thus would only serve to remind her of whom she missed.

At least with the plan, she could still think of Alphys, but without feeling sad.

 _Right_ , she began with a yawn, her eye closing. _The plan…_

* * *

“YOU HAVE A _FULL_ PLAN, NOW?” Papyrus asked sans.

Even though he was watching the television, he nodded. “yep. thanks to undyne and tori, there's a way.”

“AND IF YOURS IS ADDED TO IT?”

“perfection,” sans replied with a grin. “we _all_ win.”

“EXCEPT FATHER.”

sans turned to him, and saw actual regret upon his brother's face. He didn't know what Papyrus knew about him, now, and thus could only see this as an attack.

“and? so _what?_ he loses out on people to _torture_ , _boo-fucking-hoo_! and he'll still get his war; do you think any of us can live underground, anymore? not if this works out, we won't.”

“SNOWDIN,” Papyrus answered confidently. “I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING BACK THERE.”

sans felt his heart sink. He'd forgotten about that.

He'd promised Papyrus that his freedom would include his return to his rightful home, but now, sans realised that that was impossible.

That would be the _first_ place that Gaster would think to look, second only to the fake Lab. There was no way they could go back.

“look,” sans tried, feeling like the worst brother in the world. “i know we said that. i know that was the plan, and the whole reason why we gotta leave. but if we go there, he'll find us. He'll know to find at least you and me there.”

Papyrus looked at him so sadly that he felt his own heart ache. “YOU PROMISED ME I COULD GO HOME.”

sans closed his eyes, turning away to pretend to look at the TV screen, when really, he just couldn't pretend to smile, anymore.

“i didn't mean to,” he admitted weakly.

Papyrus believed him, oddly. At any other time, it would be easy to pretend that he was lying, just to make him feel better. But one look into his brother's face told him all he needed to know, and he leaned back, feeling sad for sans more than himself, now.

“OKAY,” he murmured. “TELL ME THE PLAN.”

sans felt love and relief flood through him, and quickly, he got up and went to him, hugging onto him tight.

Papyrus hugged back, savouring it, as sans was so rarely physical, like Gaster.

This was proven fact when, even now, sans cleared his throat (sort of) and quickly pulled back, pretending to straighten his clothes. Papyrus sighed but pretended to buy it, and sans felt even better.

“listen good,” he advised.

Papyrus listened.


	50. Pensive Preparations

When they were finished, Alphys and Mettaton were met with silence. Four pairs of eyes stared at Alphys, but only two showed clear belief. The other two showed pure scepticism.

“That's _insanity_ ,” Chara snapped, their eyes blazing from beneath the brown fringe of hair covering their forehead. “You'll all be killed, including _my_ _mother_ , and then you'll start a war!”

“Chara!” Toriel snapped quickly. “Do not speak--,”

“But they're right!” Asriel protested. “This is _impossible!”_

‘It would be, if we didn't have sans's help. If we didn't have the keys, if we didn't know where the True Lab was, then yes, this would be doomed,’ Alphys signed, looking beyond exhausted, now. ‘But sans _has_ the keys, and both he and Metta know the way. Once we're there, everything will be easy.’

Mettaton quickly translated, but Toriel was replying over the tail-end, as she'd understood.

Chara leaned back, their eyes softening a little, and Asriel watched them closely, clearly taking his cues from them, like always. When he saw that Chara made no more move to protest, he did.

“Is there a way to do this, while also avoiding the worst of it?” he asked Alphys, seeing understanding in her eyes the second he said it.

He meant war. He didn't want war.

And it was why Alphys’s eyes filled with tears.

‘I hope so,’ she answered, before her face dropped into her hands, and she started to cry for real.

Mettaton told them, then went to hug her – something she allowed with a heavy heart. She couldn't stop her tears, now. They'd been put off for too long, after so much that had happened to her, and they silenced her in every way, now.

Toriel closed her eyes, then met Mettaton's gaze. “Follow me. She can sleep in the spare bedroom.”

“We should go to the Lab,” Mettaton answered with hesitation. He clearly agreed, but also knew that this might be the last chance to go there, depending on what happened, but…

“No,” Toriel said carefully. “The Lab is where it will end.”

She frowned, wishing she could say more, but again, she was still tied down by the NDA, and she needed to look the model employee until this was over.

“Follow me. You can stay with her.”

That mollified Mettaton, and with a nod, he carefully picked up his friend and got to his feet. She stirred, her hands fumbling, trying to say something, but when she felt Mettaton begin to walk, anyway, her hands dropped, and she went still, falling back asleep.

She didn't feel it when her apron was removed, nor did she realise that they now had her all of belongings from her locker, and they were currently out of reach. By the time Toriel had swept Alphys's feet up onto the bed and had the younger woman lying down on her back, she was out for the night, dragged down by a kind of exhaustion that answered to no one.

Toriel looked Alphys over carefully before she left to get supplies, ignoring Mettaton's half-hearted protests. She was merely checking what he already had, and when she saw _them_ , her eyes closed, and something loosened within her belly. Seeing them for herself, after being unable to ask about them for almost two hours, had tortured her, and now, she felt the need to help, since she couldn't, before.

“Shall I bandage these up?” she asked Mettaton. "Or simply wash them, do you think?" She wasn't sure, and hoped he knew more than she.

But he didn't. “Maybe keep her shirt open, let them air out? Clean them first, maybe? I can help. She needs help. She needs it, now."

Toriel eyed him closely at that, something within her warning her of something – and it took another minute to get why.

When she left to get the materials she needed (physical wounds required physical remedies), Mettaton took care of Alphys, by gently pulling her shirt off through her arms. He did his best not to jar her, but even when he did, she didn't react. He paused once he realised what he was seeing, and he held his hands to himself for a moment, just... _looking_ at her.

He looked at her like he never had, before, like he almost had, yesterday – and now, could not look away from. Not when he could feel every particle of dust that made up his new body, as though it had been his own from before his ghosthood _(Although truly,_ he inwardly quipped _, the two bodies were complete_ _opposites)_. He knew he owed this joy to Alphys, owed a _lot_ to her, now, as she'd not only made him a body he enjoyed, but…

 _I'm free_ , he thought, his eyes stuck on Alphys's pale, sleeping face. _You freed me. You had no idea, you just listened to me, and yet you got it perfectly._

_I didn't believe you could, and you proved me wrong._

_You proved me so devastatingly wrong…_

That was true. Now that he had this body, he could have no other. He was connected to this body like a soul was to a monster's, and that meant that if this body died, he would, now, too.

But that was the beauty of it all: it was designed to never wear down – or if it did, it could easily be replaced before permanent harm was done. Alphys had designed it that way. And she'd done it in a way that made sure only _he_ knew how that was done.

Well, him, and her, of course.

 _I trust you_ , he thought to her, dropping down to his knees and marvelling at how easy it was for him. His eyes slowly moved down with him, and once he was settled, his eyes were, too: upon her chest.

Of _course_ he looked at her breasts, first: he was who he was and had urges like anyone else, especially now from within a body. She still wore her brassiere, which meant he saw nothing but shaped suggestion, but it was enough to make him feel rather… _strange_...

He closed his eyes and waited until he was calm, again, before opening them – and moving them away, to the side closest to him: her right side. It wasn't bleeding, but it still wept a great deal of fluids, despite how clean the cuts had actually been. There were only jagged edges near the ends of the slits – _Gills_ , he corrected – and that was because they'd healed over that deeply. It wasn't Undyne's fault, he knew.

He stared at them, their bright redness almost _crude_ , almost too personal to stare at, as if to hint at other hidden places, _personal_ slits, and what one would look like in particular, especially if it matched how red _these_ slits were, when gently prised apart…

He shut his eyes again, and that was when Toriel walked in – and saw his face.

And she knew.

She stopped, right before he noticed her, and she watched as his eyes opened, again, going to Alphys's face.

He then reached up, his hand shaking, before he placed two of his fingertips upon her cheek.

Alphys didn't move, and his face fell further. He dragged them down along the skin, hoping to make her react, but she was too worn down.

She didn't react at all.

Toriel purposefully made a sound, and he moved away, just in time before she would have seen him touching her face. Instead, his hand went to her forearm and closed around it, over one of Alphys's many scars.

She decided to pretend she saw nothing, and he knew it, and was grateful.

He had no idea what had happened between Alphys and Undyne, yet, and Toriel wasn't sure if he could handle it – not if he was looking at Alphys and touching her in  _that_ way, in a way that made sure Alphys _didn't_ know. 

Toriel moved to sit on the bed with Alphys, and Mettaton got to his feet and moved back to give her space.

But he watched. He wanted to help, to do something, but when Toriel made it clear that she knew what to do, and that his help would only slow her down, he _had_ to back off.

Yet when Toriel hinted that it would be best if he left altogether, he stayed, intent on watching, to make sure Alphys _remained_ safe.

At first, Toriel remained quiet, gently soaping up a cloth and pressing it to Alphys's left side, first, over the first cut – the first _gill_.

This time, Alphys reacted; she inhaled sharply, and her hands clenched at her sides.

Toriel stopped, and so did Alphys, but when Toriel tried again, this time, Alphys didn't react, save that her breathing grew shaky and uneven.

“Why is she breathing like that?” Mettaton demanded.

He wished he were older, so that he knew more. He wished he understood this.

“I'm not certain,” Toriel confessed calmly. She placed her other wrist upon Alphys's forehead, but felt no unusual warmth, and didn't even get a reaction. “It could be painful for her.”

“Then stop.”

Toriel looked over at him. “Wasn't it you who suggested I clean them?” she asked him.

After that, he went silent, his mouth closing once he realised that he had nothing to say to the truth of that.

Toriel watched him for a moment, then looked away to tend to Alphys, again, this time in silence, too. She cleaned away as much of the remaining dead skin as possible, cringing a little when she had to pull it off, herself, but Alphys didn't make a sound; instead, her body temperature began to rise, and her face went crimson, her breathing speeding up, again.

Toriel paused again, starting to understand. She remembered in healing school a great deal about biology, and how monsters' bodies were the result of magic and evolution growing together. Therefore, every monster would always carry a remnant of their origins, whatever it may be, and as such, respond in kind to treatments suitable for those originals. 

Gills, she knew, were designed to filter the oxygen from water in order to make it breathable, the way lungs did for people who walked on land. They were sensitive, often used for smell and sometimes taste, depending on the species of origin. If hit, it would cause devastating pain, especially if done with intention to harm.

But gentle touches, she knew, were different. If she went by what she'd been told when she'd talked to different monsters, learning different bodies in order to know how to heal them, then gills were seen as more of a _private_ part than anything else. Sure, most let them show, and didn't care to hide or cover them up, but to touch them was taboo, and most hid them, anyway, to prevent the risk.

Now she understood _why_. She went pink, wondering what Alphys was now dreaming of thanks to her touches, but she knew she did no wrong, and knew Alphys would feel the same. She wasn't touching Alphys in _that_ way, and like any physical exam done by a medical professional, she needed to touch in order to heal.

She just prayed that Mettaton wouldn't understand what it meant until after she was done both sides. She knew Alphys would get it, but still didn't know enough about him to know if he would.

Toriel moved to the right side, noting that her water had gone rather… _gross_. With a wrinkle of her nose, she muttered, “Ah, damn,” and moved to stand up, but Mettaton surprised her. He noticed, stopped her, and took the bowl.

“Let me,” he insisted.

She did, and he left. When he came back, she had already decided that she'd ignored him, enough – and decided to give him a gift, one she would never tell anyone, so long as she remained to make sure Alphys remained safe.

“Would you like to clean her other side?” she asked him.

Mettaton stared at her. He had no idea how much he wanted to until she asked. He nodded, already moving to sit down at Alphys's other side, and once he had, Toriel handed him the cloth with a kind smile.

Mettaton took it, slowly rinsing it, before he wrapped it around his hand, to mask its shaking, and began to gently smooth away the damage.

Toriel helped him with tricky parts, and he did it well, but when Alphys soon began to react, again – she went redder, swallowing hard several times, and her tail slowly began to curl in on itself, her hands clenched tighter – Mettaton began to hesitate.

“Is she okay?” he asked.

“She's just fine,” Toriel replied. “Keep going.”

He looked up at her, then, and their eyes met.

Within Toriel's, Mettaton saw both good and bad news, something he wanted to hear, and something else he did not, at all.

He was afraid of both, and he quickly looked away and rinsed the cloth to hide it.

Toriel let it go. She knew to press it would only make things more awkward, and there was no time for it. He would find out, eventually, and maybe it was best that it would not be from her.

She was right.

* * *

“please. just this one thing, just this once."

Gaster looked up slowly, blinking. He was tired, and knew he needed to retire for a few hours, soon.

But sans was standing at his office doorway, and he was actually asking a favour of him.

He couldn't ignore that.

‘Why?’ he replied, signing it by hand. He was _that_ tired.

And when tired, even the smartest people make the stupidest of mistakes.

“he's bored,” sans said honestly. “he's bored, he misses his home, and he wants to be happy.”

Gaster felt his heart wrench at that, but he didn't let it show. Hearing that Papyrus was unhappy was heartbreaking, when all Gaster wanted was to protect him and make sure he was safe.

He knew it took a level of unkind subterfuge, of course, but surely even Papyrus knew that his father still loved him...

That Gaster loved _only_ him…

‘Seeing my Asset would make him happy?’ Gaster genuinely wondered. How could that be so? He knew by now that he was here because of her; why meet the reason for his misery?

“you know him,” sans said. “he was the one who predicted she would need the pool, remember? what harm could _this_ possibly do?”

That was the problem: Gaster couldn't think of any. He knew there _were_ reasons to forbid it, and knew he should out of principle, alone.

But he was tired. And he was a fool.

And he loved his baby son, more than he would love even himself.

‘Alright,’ he agreed. ‘He may stay in F-1 with you for the duration of my sleep. You are not to leave him alone for even a second. He is not to go near the water if she has surfaced. Do not let him in the water, either, sans. I mean it.’

“do i look that stupid, after seeing what undyne did to alphys?!” sans demanded in reply.

Gaster eyed him closely at that.

That was true. That was _very_ true.

He knew sans loved Papyrus almost as much as he did, and knew he would never endanger him.

That was the point.

‘No, you do not,’ Gaster agreed. ‘You have your terms. I am going to retire for three hours. If you are not back in his room by the time I am back here, you will be in trouble.’

“what if something does go wrong, and i'm held back?”

‘Don't let it,” was the easy answer.

It was all he would give to sans.

He left right after, not even thinking to look back.

And in return, he missed sans's wide, triumphant smile.

**END OF PART FIVE**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are nearing a close, everyone. Howdy-Do.


	51. Sleep, Sex, Secrets (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a sex scene, here: it's a dream-sequence, one you can skip without missing a thing. It's in present-tense and in italics, and when they end, so does the sex. Enjoy either way! :)

**PART SIX: DO YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD GIVE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY?**

When sans arrived to get Papyrus, he was already awake and dressed. sans had wanted to give Undyne a few hours to sleep, and it didn't hurt that he needed it, either.

All part of the plan.

Papyrus got to his feet the second he saw sans. “HAS HE GONE TO SLEEP?”

“yep. gave permission and everything.”

Papyrus closed his jaws, looking away for a moment. He knew that, by doing this – by putting a face to the Asset – he would not be able to look back. She was someone in need, and he was the type to rescue. It was what made him so beloved in Snowdin in the first place.

But it would mean betraying his father. It would mean that he would be helping destroy his own father's work, after Papyrus's entire lifetime of working to get it back on track.

He felt guilty, despite himself, despite knowing that this was the right thing, and that Gaster was in the wrong, and needed to be stopped.

He was afraid.

He loved his father, despite how far away he was held; he was _still held_ , even if just a little, and it was hard not to love him for that.

He knew, like he had with Alphys, that the second he saw Undyne, he would not be able to go back.

And for that brief moment, he wasn't sure he was strong enough to do it.

But then, he thought of his father, and what he now knew had been done to Alphys – Gaster's own _daughter_ – and he remembered. He remembered how cold and calculated his father was.

He knew that he was lucky, too; he was the only one out of the three that had never been experimented on, and he still didn't know why.

 _I'm lucky_ , he thought, _but look at my own sister. Where is her luck?_

Then, his eyes fell on sans.

_Where is his?_

In many ways, sans _was_ treated the worst. Whereas Alphys was abandoned, sans was expected to work for his father as a _slave_ , knowing that disobeying would mean – at _best_ – experimentation.

Both agreed it was best not to think of what the worst could be.

sans had put up with it for _fifteen years_ , the entire time that Papyrus was alive. And now that Papyrus knew for sure that he _was_ the reason – the _only_ reason – why sans still obeyed, those feelings overrode that guilt.

Because nothing that had been done to sans was fair, and he deserved to leave this life, completely.

With a forced smile, Papyrus went under his bed for a moment and fished out a bag, one half-full but clearly ready to use as is. In it were his most precious possessions, things he knew could not replaced.

Anything that could, he left behind, because within his soul, he knew: this would be the last time he would ever see this room.

He felt conflicted. It hasn’t been for long, but it had felt that way. It had felt like _years_ , especially when he thought about what he'd seen alongside it.

It hadn't been a bad place to live. But he wasn't happy living here.

And neither was sans.

“what's in the bag?” sans wondered.

“IN CASE WE CANNOT RETURN," was all Papyrus said.

sans's expression fell, clearly only realising this, now, and he lowered his head, feeling like dirt.

He'd never even _thought_ of that.

The point of the plan was to make it seem like no one was involved – except Undyne – and therefore, it never occurred to him to think that way.

He never thought to think of what could easily go wrong.

But Papyrus had.

And he hadn't even been part of the initial planning process.

That had to end now.

“smart,” he managed to get out. “very smart. but we're not supposed to get caught, remember?”

Papyrus nodded. “I'M GOING TO HIDE IT IN F-1, UNTIL THE ESCAPE. WHOEVER LEAVES FIRST CAN TAKE IT, AND THAT WAY, I'LL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NEEDING WASTE TIME TO CIRCLE BACK.”

sans was blown away by this, and stood gaping at his little brother.

Papyrus looked worried, wondering if the expression meant it was bad, but when sans smiled, he relaxed.

“great idea,” he agreed. “ready to meet her?”

Papyrus nodded, looking much happier, now. “I AM.”

“then let’s go, bro.”

Papyrus did, but not before looking back one more time.

He didn't know why. He couldn't name it.

But he knew he would not return here, no matter what sans said.

He just hoped it meant he could go back to Snowdin, now. And with sans.

That was _all_ he wanted.

When he heard the door open, he turned around, and followed his brother out.

He was right.

* * *

Undyne dreamt of Alphys.

She was hoping she would, once she felt herself fall asleep. She begged her mind to reward her, now that she was alone and forced to accept the aches and pains coursing through her body.

Her eye hurt. Her chest hurt. She still felt dizzy and slow.

But inside, she felt incredible, and she wanted to dream of the reason why.

She did.

But not alone.

* * *

_This time, when they awaken together, Undyne finds herself in a place she's never seen before: a small bedroom, one that looks like it's meant for guests. Within it is a small bed, and within that bed is her Alphy._

_Alphys wakes up the second she feels her presence, and her eyes fill with tears. She reaches out even before she can try to speak, and is embraced before she can even try. Instead, she sobs, and Undyne sobs, too._

_For a moment, all they do is hug and weep, so happy to be in each other's arms again so soon, regardless of the method._

_It's hard to explain this kind of devotion, this kind of true love, unless you have been held under its thrall, one unchanging, in over a decade._

_Now that they have finally found each other – their_ true _selves, instead of the selves they dreamt of but could never reach – they didn't want to be apart._

_Not even asleep._

_And Alphys cries, because she is relieved. She is so relieved that she could see Undyne – connect with her – before they risk everything with their plan._

_There is no other way for that to occur between now and after, so a dream is the perfect place._

_But it also serves a problem: Alphys is not underwater with Undyne, and therefore, she is certain she cannot speak._

_Instead, they kiss._

_But this thought distracts her so much that her lips are slow, and Undyne pulls away, giving them both a moment to actually understand where they are, and how._

_Alphys knows that she should likely be clothed, but when she discovers that all she feels upon her skin are bedsheets and Undyne, she feels it the most natural thing in the world._

_She looks at Undyne, finding her in the same state, only she feels cool and almost slick to the touch, and her hair defies all know gravity, as if she is underwater, still._

_But she is also naked, and also under the sheets..._

_Suddenly, Alphys can only think of sex. She knows she should be talking out her fears, or using this time between them to make sure their plan remains sound, but instead, her eyes search Undyne's, and all she can think of is how good it would feel to make it glaze over with pleasure…_

_Undyne suddenly grabs hold of Alphys's face and kisses her lips with her own, hungrily, her hands sliding down to Alphys's shoulders and pushing her down onto her back, her palms leaving a water trail upon Alphys's warming skin. Alphys opens her arms and legs and welcomes her, and Undyne snuggles close, shivering when she feels her body hugged within Alphys's. Even Alphys shudders, her arms holding firmer, and her tongue slips out from between both their lips – and meets Undyne's._

_Both groan, then Undyne slides her hands down to Alphys's sides, and for a moment, Alphys forgets about what has changed, and merely expects it to feel soothing._

_But when Undyne's fingers suddenly stop, caught, kept in place, and held, Alphys gasps and reels, her whole body arching up with shock. Waves of sensitive pleasure slowly thrum through her from her sides, inward, and she breathes out a shocked laugh, one she does not hear – but one that makes Undyne's ears twitch, just for a moment…_

_“Feels good, yeah?” Undyne murmurs against Alphys's lips, and Alphys nods, squirming a little in order to try and get those fingers to move, as they now seemed stuck in place. “You like it, too?"_

_Alphys nods again, shifting once more; this time, Undyne's fingers follow, and her next breath is another silent laugh, her eyes closing into happy crescents._

_Undyne grins down at her, watching her face turn red, and she dips her head down and presses her lips to Alphys's neck. O_ _ne of Alphys's hands tangles within Undyne's floating hair, but the other – one that had been holding onto Undyne's shoulder for dear life – suddenly loosens, before she shakily moves her hand down Undyne's back – and then moves it_ inward _…_

_Undyne gasps, this time, and Alphys grins in triumph, her tail thumping happily once she catches up with her fingers. Undyne's gills are both smooth and almost ruffled, and they kind of remind Alphys of…_

_A flash of heat meets that thought, and her hand suddenly moves lower, her face moving down and nuzzling Undyne's cheek, eager for a kiss. Instead, she gets a gentle bite to the shoulder, and when she squirms again, it's without control – but happily so._

_Alphys's hand skips over Undyne's hip as a result of that bite, so when it lands, again, she's already moved her hand between them, fingers skirting down Undyne's belly and seeking out_ similar _red ruffles…_

_Undyne doesn't get it a first, until she feels those fingers dance through her curls. With a giggle, she shifts her hips back, just as Alphys loosens her legs' hold around her narrow waist._

_Alphys slowly licks her lips, just as her fingers dip between_ different _lips, and when she buries them deep, Undyne's knees buckle, and she groans low and long, her head going limp upon Alphys's shoulder._

_Undyne has to move her hands; otherwise she'll likely land on Alphys too hard and hurt her. She moves one down and uses it to prop herself up, but the other… the other goes up for a moment, curving around one of Alphys's generous breasts, and Alphys opens her eyes, their light colour shimmering with rainbows._

_For a moment, Undyne is completely thrown; she has no idea what to do. Alphys is the one who know how to do this on a bed, not her! But before she can even try, Alphys's fingers find her clit, and her eye flares wide, just as her elbows give out._

_Alphys catches her with one arm and a laugh, a gaspy sound that was clearly knocked out of her, but when Undyne opens her eye and sees her face, she knows Alphys is safe._

_Just like she is safe with Alphys._

_“Talk to me,” Undyne begs, just as Alphys begins to move her fingers, slowly but wonderfully, in a way she_ needs _…_

_Alphys's fingers hesitate at that, however, before they start again._

_Undyne sees her expression fall and her face redden, but Undyne raises her head, trying to look as confident as she feels._

_“Try!” she insists._

_Alphys opens her mouth, inhaling slowly and moving to expel it, knowing she will be disappointed, like she was that very first time—_

_“Hi...?"_

_Her eyes flare, as do Undyne's – but Undyne's also fills with tears, just as her expression lights up._

_“I knew it!” she cries._

_Alphys laughs tearfully, and they both hear it, and it's wonderfully. “Dreams are beautiful things,” she whispers, her eyes softening._

_Undyne's close, just as Alphys's index finger's tip lingers upon that soft button…_

_“So beautiful,” Undyne gasps out, before closing her eye and burying her face into Alphys's neck, hiding her tears as well as biting down again. It works just as she wants it to: Alphys jerks beneath her, her whole body arching up to meet her own, save her busy hand – but even that hand presses closer, fingers reaching deeper…_

_Undyne quickly reaches between them, grabbing Alphys's wrist and pushing her hand away from between her legs._

_Alphys opens her eyes, trying to look at her, but Undyne moves her lips across her shoulder – before she bites down, again, almost enough to break skin._

_“Undyne!” Alphys yelps, her voice high-pitched and broken._

_It embarrasses her, but Undyne shivers with arousal, her eye squeezing shut and her lips closing around her teeth, to kiss the flesh beneath it, instead._

“Again,” _Undyne begs, just as her own hands move on their own, taking hold of Alphys's hips and moving her legs around her own hips, differently, in a way that – with one or two more shifts – would have them connecting in the_ best _of ways..._

_Alphys opens her eyes at that, just as Undyne raises her head – and Alphys raises her own hips, in time to watch what such a thing will do to her echoflower._

_It's better than she could have dreamed._

_Undyne moans, her eye closing halfway, and as Alphys slides her arms around Undyne's neck to pull her down, Undyne takes hold of Alphys's hips to drag her back up, and…_

_And the flesh of their cunts touch, their clits almost rubbing together, if but for one more shift to the left… no, the_ other _left… and then… with it..._

_...comes..._

_…_ paradise _…_

 _They made love like this, like they had in a different dream, but in a way that is even better. By now, they know the other's body for_ real _, and with every single bout, learn more and more and even more…_

_For as long as they can, they lock themselves within this dream, taking turns riding each other upon that small guestroom bed, laughing when either notice the way the springs creak and groan and bounce, smelling of must and mothballs…_

_And in the way they both sing, the novelty of hearing Alphys's voice as it_ should _be heard, the beauty of the way Undyne seemingly remains underwater while Alphys remains dry, save for drops here and there, and within places wetter that that, thanks_ not _to water…_

_But soon, Undyne feels herself dragged away, and even as Alphys protests, even as she tries to hold on, for one more round, one more roll, one more kiss…_

_Their hands let go, and they are thrown apart once more._

* * *

Undyne awoke with a strangled start, her hands still trying to hold onto Alphys's reaching one’s, but her hands only made bubbles as she waved them uselessly before her.

She opened her eye, shaking her head a little, before she heard what woke her in the first place: knocking, on the wall of the pool.

Her stomach clenched, then loosened, flooding with caffeinated butterflies all at once. It was a knock she knew, and thus knew what it meant.

With a grin of excitement, she pushed herself up from the bottom of the pool, her blood still warm and humming from her dreams.

“Who are you?” she called the second her head broke the surface, just in case.

“me."

With a sigh of relief, Undyne pushed herself up onto the plank, then sat on it, looking around. It was still dark in the hangar thanks to the time of day, but she knew by memory, and had her bag packed in seconds, purposefully using the one that the bathing suits had been sent in. It was a good, big bag, and it meant she would leave nothing behind of hers that he could use to chase her.

“Gimme a sec,” she called quickly, realising she was taking too long, before she dove back under and raced for it. She felt her body protest a little, but the butterflies provided enough adrenaline to make it easy to ignore.

When she broke the surface, her eye met not sans, but a skeleton, no less.

For a split second, she was terrified that she'd been betrayed, as she only knew two skeletons. It only lasted less than a second because Undyne wasn't stupid, and easily put it together who this was.

She grinned. He was shorter than her, but everyone was, and yet he looked at her as if _he_ were taller.

He was a kid – he looked young, despite _what_ he was – and yet she could still sense maturity.

“You're definitely Papyrus,” she said as her greeting, providing him with a smile.

In that one sentence, Papyrus both relaxed – and decided that Undyne was his friend for life. It didn't matter that, at this moment, she was exactly twice his age, or was the direct reason why he was trapped, here. He had friends in Snowdin that were even older, thus he didn't care. He liked her smile, he liked her blunt phrasing, and he liked that she could tell who he was.

It made him send sans a beaming smile, as certainly, he'd given Undyne a very good impression of Papyrus, and he was grateful.

She jumped out of the pool, throwing her wet bag down on the desktop. It landed away and off anything important, but sans made a face, anyway. She ignored him, instead rounding on his brother and holding out her hand to him, grinning, again.

“I'm Gaster's Asset, Undyne,” she told him. “But I hope not for much longer.”

Papyrus beamed at her, next, taking her hand within his gloved one and giving it quite the firm shake, something that had him liking her more – and her, him.

“I AM PAPYRUS,” he replied. “I ALSO HOPE TO BE FREE OF THIS.”

Undyne's grin went crooked, and she looked at sans. “I like him,” she announced, holding Papyrus's hand between her own, now.

“i'm not sure of that being a good thing, honestly,” sans sighed, sitting down at the desk and opening up a new page of his notebook.

Papyrus pouted, reluctantly letting go of Undyne's hands to put his own on his hips, looking despondent. “DO YOU WANT MY HELP OR NOT?”

When sans looked as if he were really terrified that Papyrus was changing his mind, Undyne knew better, and she burst into laughter, slapping one of Papyrus's shoulders; she was pleased when he didn't stumble or trip, but remained tall - and laughed alongside her.

It was the perfect start, and an excellent sign of what they planned would come.


	52. Political Science

“We have to. You know that.”

Toriel sighed, rubbing her forehead.

It was Asriel who said it, and that didn't surprise her. Out of the two, he was the most like her the older he got: politics _meant_ something to him, and not in they same way it would anyone else.

For Asriel, like his mother, being a politician – in this case, a monarch-turned-minister – was who he was. It was part of what made him Asriel, and she both loved _and_ hated it. She wanted a better life for her children, and had secretly hoped they would either give up like herself and Asgore, or fight until the world was theirs.

Only _now_ did that seem actually like it could happen. Never before had Toriel ever seriously considered a coup, because she knew how fruitless it was, and how much it would cost her. Even though they were older than his usual test subjects started out as, she knew Gaster would find a way to steal them from her.

Toriel and Asgore were lucky: they'd never had to bury a child.

When trying to get pregnant with Asriel, it had taken a few tries, but she only got pregnant once, and that was with her boy. She had no idea what that felt like: to have your child taken from you, before you could even touch them, yourself, in order to make them into no more than a lab rat.

And that, for the first time, had Toriel thinking about Alpha.

_That had happened to her, hadn't it? She'd been pregnant at least once, and that pregnancy was solely to grow a lab rat._

Toriel had never wondered how that must have felt, because she always assumed, thanks to how that lab rat grew up, Alpha had felt nothing.

Now, she wondered.

Sure, _Gaster_ , she saw as being _that_ cold – only that thought was slapped away by thoughts of Papyrus.

Papyrus, who was secretly a Boss Monster, would have been perfect, had he known, and yet he'd never even _tested_ him.

 _If someone like_ Gaster _could have parental feeling,_ Toriel thought, _what had it been like for_ Alpha?

 _What had it_ really _been like for Alpha…?_

“Mom.”

Toriel raised her gaze, genuinely confused for a moment, her thoughts gibbering so fast that she'd even forgotten his presence, despite her thoughts.

Asriel stared at her intensely, his bright eyes wavering, and she smiled faintly, adding confusion to him, now, too.

“I know,” she finally agreed. He was sitting beside her, and she touched his hand. He grabbed it and held it. “I know you do. And I know why.”

Asriel blinked. “You do?”

She nodded. “I may need my sleep, but I'm still who I am, despite being so old,” she chided him gently, and he smiled crookedly, always one to appreciate a good jab in the ribs, even his own. “And that means I also understand the reasoning. Was it your idea?”

Asriel sat up and beamed, nodding.

Most people thought Chara was the mastermind, just because they were so intense and quiet, and missed nothing. It was assumed that Asriel was fed lines by Chara, since his cheerful and optimistic demeanour made him seem less intelligent than most.

To have his own mother recognise the truth made him feel _wonderful_.

“Chara wants to fight,” he said. “But they said they didn't know _how.”_

Toriel was impressed. Perhaps Chara was finally maturing at last, to show such restraint and self-awareness. The Chara of just a year ago would have demanded a violent protest, vandalism, destruction, and the like.

Now, they were admitting their anger, but also their flaws, and that made Toriel feel even prouder.

“And this is how you decided,” Toriel guessed.

Asriel nodded. “Kinda. I think it's why Dad is talking to them, now. I think they're too embarrassed to ask us, despite already knowing we know, heh.”

That made Toriel a little sad, but she still understood it. Chara doted on Asgore almost as much as they did Asriel, and only Asgore could get them to calm down and listen in the little of a fit. It made sense that he would help them, now.

Toriel looked at her son for a moment, and saw a man for the first time. She felt her heart ache, as no mother wants to see their child all grown up before she is ready to let go. Yet she knew he had been grown up for a while; she was only seeing it, now, because the circumstances called for it.

She moved her hand to his cheek, and she smiled at him. He went pink, looking up at her with quiet hope, and she said what he wanted.

“You have my support. The timing is perfect, especially if you plan it for either today or tomorrow, once Undyne is gone.”

Asriel suddenly lit up. “Mother, what if I _do_ wait til tomorrow? What if _that's_ why? If I make it open knowledge that Deltarune _isn't_ what he's saying it is, and what he's doing to innocent monsters, then he won't be able to deny it! His proof of the contrary will already be gone, and we can expose the whole thing as what it is: a slave ring!”

Toriel admired his fire, saw it as her own, but knew it wasn't that easy – thought it was very smart. “I agree with a lot of that,” she revealed. “And I have a compromise: both days. Today and tomorrow. You and Chara have yet to respond to the sniped by-law; doing it today makes sense.”

Asriel's eyes widened as he caught on. “And then tomorrow, when the breakout is revealed, we'll finally be able to tell all that we can! Especially if he doesn't have his Asset to reveal and pretend to make us liars!”

Toriel smiled. “They _would_ need to investigate, yes. Especially the humans."

Asriel laughed and hugged her tight, and she hugged back, unable to help catching his enthusiasm.

“This _is_ gonna work, isn't it, Mom?” he then asked softly, without looking at her.

“I certainly hope so,” she agreed, kissing the top of his head.

* * *

“Fine day, today,” Asgore breathed out at last.

Chara looked up at him, biting their lip. They stopped sweeping, just as Asgore set down the watering can and stood back up, leaning back to crack his spine with a hiss.

“You always say that,” Chara mumbled, moving to put the broom away.

“And _you_ always say _that_ ,” Asgore replied cheerfully.

“Dad,” Chara said, their voice soft. They'd stopped, their back to their father, and they held the broom to them, their hands shaking. “Stop it. Be real.”

“Believe it or not, I am,” Asgore answered, though his voice became a bit sharper. “I greet the day as it is, Chara. Because if no one else notices, why bother counting them?”

Chara felt their cheeks burn. They both hated and loved Asgore for that, for the way he managed to chastise Chara while also teaching them a much-needed lesson. Toriel often pretended that her human's outbursts were just their way, and they still did no wrong.

But Asgore knew.

And it was why Chara loved him the most.

“Do you really think we can do this, Dad?” Chara whispered, refusing to look at him. They even lowered their head and hid their eyes to make certain of it.

“If you try,” Asgore answered right away.

Chara flinched. He had them, there. With a sigh, Chara disappeared into the shed for a moment, then came back empty-handed.

“Then I guess I better get dressed for battle,” they snarked, not expecting Asgore to hear, let alone reply.

But he did, and he turned and hugged them before they could slip away. Chara went limp, but didn't fight him, and he held them closer, waiting patiently, like always.

Chara swallowed, struggling for a moment with their tears, before they sagged even more – with a small sniffle.

“Then you're the child I am proud to have raised,” Asgore replied, leaning down and peering into that small, pointy face.

Chara looked back, their eyes fully open and glistening with too many emotions at once. They choked, reaching up and trying to stop their tears by pressing down on their eyelids, but of course they failed.

 _“I’m so scared,”_ they blurted out, before hating themself at once for it.

But as usual, Asgore didn't punish them for it. Instead, he knelt down before them, said nothing, and simply hugged onto them.

Chara hugged back right away, this time, and as softly as possible, both wept together, holding the other up as a team.

Like they always would.

* * *

Alphys didn't wake up when the dream ended, and she lost Undyne to the waters.

Instead, she was dragged down into the worst of dreams: the ones too real to be true, yet too familiar to be fake.

Only none of it was familiar.

At first.

* * *

_Everything was cold and terrifying._

_She couldn't see very well._

_She tried to move, but found herself being moved of her own accord._

_No, dragged: she was being dragged free… in a way that hurt…._

_Angry sounds, loud sounds, scary sounds that make her cry, calling for her mother._

_She felt pain, and went quiet, scared._

_When nothing else happened, she began to cry, again._

_Only then, she felt her jaws held shut, and she couldn’t breathe._

_She tried to scream, tried to claw away the hand, but her hands didn't work, and she missed every time._

_She didn't understand._ None _of this felt good._

_When she was let go, she was too stunned to do a thing. She could feel herself tremble, both with cold and fear, and she knew she cried, but again, her body felt too weak, and her body wouldn't obey her._

_More sounds, sounds that scared her._

_She started whimpering, then crying, again._

_She felt pain, again, and she went quiet, suddenly certain that if she so much as_ breathed _, she would be killed._

 _She tried to open her eyes, but could only see blurs – and even_ that _didn't last._

 _Suddenly, all she knew was_ agony _._

_It had begun with a sting to the outside of her right her leg, one that shocked her with its severity. She felt as if she'd never known pain until then._

_But that was only the start._

_From that sting came a wave of pain, one that spread like hungry flames through a dried brush, and she felt her whole body burn._

_She screamed desperately, her fingers and toes reaching out to hook onto someone,_ anyone _, who could hold her through this nightmare, and with every breath, she continued to scream, her skin feeling like it was about to blister from the inside…_

_More angry sounds._

_Then, she felt someone touch her, roughly, grabbing her by the base of her tail, and she was suddenly dragged through the air, her limbs stiffening with pain. She tried reaching out, starting to scream for_ real _, now._

_Then, suddenly, though the noise – even her own – she could hear it: a sound that was like a song._

_She tried to stop herself from screaming, to hear it better, but she had no control over it._

_But when she felt her body being held once more, the hands that touched her were soft and smooth, and knew exactly_ how _to hold her._

_Before she knew it, she found herself lying against a surface that felt like heaven: the naked skin of the one she'd needed most._

_She latched on, even trying to dig her toes and fingers in, and between sobs and screams of continuing pain, she moved her nose and lips over that skin, desperately searching for one thing along, needing it more than anything else…_

_She felt gentle hands guide her, and soon, her lips found her salvation, and she drank, parched and dying and needing all she could get._

_Between breaths and gulps she whimpered, trying to ask what was going on, trying to understand what was happening and what this meant._

_But soon, the longer she drank, the less it mattered._

_Something in it made her feel deeply tired, and yet she still felt those pains continue to hurt her._

_But she was so exhausted that all she could do was moan in protest, powerless to stop it._

_Once she'd had enough to drink, she pulled away and tried to open her eyes, to_ see _her salvation, and she just managed it._

 _She saw_ other _eyes, first, eyes that did not scare her, and she reached up, whimpering pathetically but still hoping for love and tenderness, the antithesis of what she'd already been given._

 _The more she blinked, the more she saw, and soon, she was looking into a face that was familiar, but one she'd never seen look at her like_ this _, before._

_She murmured in surprise, and she got a real smile in return – even a gentle touch to her face, her forehead, even her cheeks…_

_It hurt still so much, but this tenderness made it easier to ignore. She could feel the lull of sleep, and within the hold of her hero and saviour, the one who rocked her and spoke to her and touched her, so lovingly, so reassuringly, in a way that promise this kind of love for the rest of her life…_

“Alphys,” _her benefactor whispered._

_She moaned in reply, feeling her body begin to succumb to her exhaustion and agony._

_She was encouraged._

_And soon, she felt the warm velvet of healing sleep wrap around her, and she fell into a deep sleep, so deep that she'd never know, never even remembered, until now…_

Mother….

* * *

“Alphys! Alphys, _wake up!”_

She was being shaken.

_Was it that cruel person, the one with the harsh hands?_

_Or was it the soft one, the one she'd never known could ever be soft until now, was still unsure if it were true, but…?_

She blinked, and found her eyes were looking into Mettaton's.

She blinked again, slower, realising with sleepy stupidity that the room was a _lot_ darker than it had been – and she was both starving and, in a different way, full.

She blushed, quickly pulling away and scrambling to her feet, her eyes looking for the door and, with it, help to the bathroom…

_Wait._

She stopped.

She had no idea where she was.

Her hand remained still upon the door handle, and she felt a cold rock of fear drop into her belly.

“You're still at the Dreemurrs',” Mettaton said quickly, and she turned back to him, her eyes huge, almost glowing in the darkness. “I’m sorry. It's late. You slept the entire day away.”

‘I did?’ Alphys asked, stunned. ‘What time is it?’

“Ten.”

Alphys stared at him. No wonder she had to pee so badly.

She looked at him, then the door, before back to him for help, and he laughed and took hold of her arm, gently leading her out, across the hall, and into the bathroom.

There, she was stunned to see a set of towels, a clean shirt, and her apron, looking freshly-pressed. It was the spare shirt she'd had in her locker.

In fact, near the doorway lay her bag, and the rest of her belongings remained in place within it.

“Toriel said you can have a bath,” Mettaton told her gently. “I'll let the others know, and once you're done, you can eat, and we can start for real.”

Alphys felt butterflies break free of their cocoons, threatening to leap up into her throat and choke her to death, but she managed to keep them at bay.

With a nod, she smiled, waving to the door, and with a smile of his own, he left her to it.

She immediately went to the toilet, even as her mind remained on Mettaton.

 _Already, I’m so used to him looking like that_ , she knew, pulling her pants off carefully but tossing her sleep-sweaty shirt aside, close to her bag.

She’d wash it once she got home.

_Indeed._

_And he's so used to moving his face like that, she added, her chin in her hands_.

She began to laugh silently when it seemed like her stream would never end, but it did, and once it had, she finished her business, got undressed – and had a bath.

By now, Alphys rather hated baths, finding them kind of groaty and unsanitary. Showers had spoilt her rather well, but to admit it would also meant she would be forced to explain why she had those feelings, and…

_I’d almost rather bathe in Waterfall…_

But she managed it, grateful for being cared for in the first place and trying not to be a brat.

She trembled, feeling like the water remained ice cold no matter how often she added more and more heated water, and she barely dried before she put her clothes on, too cold to linger naked in the cold air. She shivered the entire time, and once she left, she was shaking, hugging herself around her middle.

Mettaton was waiting for her outside the bathroom, and before he said anything, he raised his hand and held something up to stop her: a broken puffer.

She blushed deeply. ‘I'll pay you back,’ she promised.

“Just tell me that whatever broke it didn't hurt you, too.”

She nodded right away, her cheeks reddening further once she remembered _how_ and _why_ , and he peered at her closely. She smiled weakly, and he smiled back and relaxed.

“Are you _really_ ready for this, Alphys?”

She looked up, expecting Mettaton, but to her surprise, it was Toriel with Mettaton behind her – looking like he agreed, too.

But with what?

Alphys nodded right away, her heart tripping at the thought of seeing Undyne, again. She would bear the coldest of cold, if it meant seeing Undyne, again.

She would hate that thought, later – despite it being the only one she could manage…

But now, she tilted her head. She had no clue why her nod made them both look unhappy.

“Alphys,” Toriel said carefully, looking at Mettaton for a moment. “We've figured it out, and there's no reason why you can't just wait at the Lab, instead of going into work, today.”

Alphys frowned. ‘Why would I do that? I _have_ to be there, remember? It has to be _my_ cart, because it _has_ to be Mettaton--,’

Toriel covered her hands, and she frowned deeper, her eyes wavering. She pulled them away, and quickly, she added, ‘You want me to stay away?!’

“No!” Mettaton cried, moving past Toriel and taking hold of one of Alphys's hands. “No, Alphys, we don't. We're just worried that something might happen, and if we're not careful--,”

Toriel cut him off. “If we're not careful, we might overlook something.”

Alphys yanked her hand back, then said, ‘Why are you saying this? I'm going! I _am_ going! I _must_!’

“No you don't,” Mettaton said quickly. “You _barely_ _know her_ \--,”

Alphys slapped both of his hands away, her eyes filling with tears. She gasped out, as if wishing she could scream, before her hands moved, again. ‘You've asked, I answered. I'm going! The end! What time is it?!’

There was a small silence, before, behind them, a small voice answered. “It's time to go.”

Chara stood there, their eyes bright and their face set. For the first time in their life, they looked… as if they knew exactly why they existed.

“It's time,” they repeated.

And this time, when Alphys nodded, so did Toriel and Mettaton.

They never mentioned it, again.

Even after all that happened, later.


	53. The Plan

For several blissful hours, Undyne spent her time with Papyrus. Sure, sans was there, but from the start, all he really did was just sit and watch, adding only small murmurs from time-to-time before scribbling a bit in his report book.

Papyrus had been nervous about that at first, terrified that sans would be compelled to tell Gaster the truth in this last missive as an ultimate middle finger to their father.

But sans let him see what he'd already written, and knew he had nothing to worry about; the lies continued. So, he relaxed, and spent his time getting to know Undyne in return.

“So,” she said, after they got past several things: the way it felt when their eyes met and why, their ages and basic likes and dislikes out of the way. “You're not afraid of this plan?”

Papyrus laughed. “OF COURSE I'M AFRAID,” he corrected, making her smile. “BUT I'M MORE TIRED OF HOW THINGS HAVE BEEN. I WANT TO GO HOME.”

“Me, too,” Undyne murmured, her eye darkening for a moment. “When we _are_ free, do you really have a way to protect us _all_ , sans?”

When he realised he was being spoken to, sans asked her to repeat herself, then answered. “yep. we just need to get _outta_ here, and that's when i'll take over.”

“And until then?”

“trust alphys and toriel.”

Undyne closed her mouth, then, her cheeks going red. She _did_ trust Alphys, more than anyone, even Toriel. She couldn't _wait_ to see her, again. She’d been counting the hours down despite herself, and while it was easy to ignore with Papyrus around, whenever there was a lull, she found out the time.

“So you lived in Snowdin?” Undyne asked.

Papyrus lit up, and with coaxing, Undyne got him to explain everything he could about his life there, including the people. He had such a way with words that he made those people seem so _real_ , and it felt almost like _she_ knew them at the end.

She wanted to. She felt like she could really get along with the people, there...

Before she could ask more, sans interrupted. “bro, we gotta be back in your room before he gets back.”

Papyrus looked despondent. “WILL HE INTERFERE?”

sans shook his head. “not after he reads my report, he won't.”

 _Theoretically_.

Papyrus hesitated, then turned and hugged Undyne. She went pink and smiled, then hugged back, equally affectionate.

“I RATHER LIKE YOU, UNDYNE,” he confessed. “I HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FROM YOU. I WANT TO BE YOUR STUDENT.”

Undyne was so confused that she laughed nervously. “Student? In _what_?!”

“STRENGTH.”

She looked at him, still bemused, but he smiled. “ARE YOU READY TO TRUST _ME_?”

That made her sombre, and she nodded. “Yeah, okay,” she agreed. “ _I_ trust _you_. I like you, too.”

“then see you soon,” sans interjected. “remember: once the power goes out, wait for alphys to arrive with her cart at the door.”

Undyne bit her lip, then forced herself to ask it.

“What if she can't make it?” she blurted out, needing to voice her fears. “What if something holds her back?”

“then toriel will find you, instead.”

Undyne nodded.

That _was_ the plan.

She knew it, already.

But she felt nervous, all of a sudden.

She wanted Alphys. She wanted her, _now_.

Instead, there was a rush of energy, and the lights clicked on, just as the radio came back to life with it.

“that's _our_ cue, bro."

Again, Papyrus hugged Undyne, and she hugged him back, adding, “Hug her for me like _this_ , if we don't have time for it, okay?"

She had no idea how important that would become.

“I WILL,” he promised, meaning it.

Then, they were gone, and she was standing in the hangar, alone and scared.

Her ears twitched, and she listened to the radio start up, again. It was only music, for now, but it was nice.

 _I'll bathe,_ she decided. _Who knows when I'll be able to get clean, next?_

_If this works out?_

It was a very good plan.

* * *

Toriel hugged Chara tight, trying not to weep. She knew that she had to go – knew that _they_ did, too – but was still scared.

Luckily, Chara was in a hugging mood, and they returned it with no protest or urge to end it.

They were scared, too.

“You can do this,” Toriel told them, and they nodded. “By the time we reunite, it will be all over.”

Asriel was being held by Asgore, and both were crying.

“Are you sure?” Asriel whispered.

“Yes,” Asgore agreed, smiling and kissing his son's forehead. “Now go and do it.”

After a bit more fussing, they parted, and as their parents watched, Asriel and Chara got into the car all they shared and drove off.

By the time Toriel left that night, they were already making their way into the human city, where they would spend the night.

The two had spent most of their _day_ there, already, while Alphys dreamt, Mettaton charged, and Toriel slept. They had, that day, responded to Gaster's unwelcome bylaw (well, _Asriel_ had, but Chara remained beside him the entire time, looking determined instead of afraid), and made it known that he had done it without telling them.

It had thrown the place into chaos, but they'd been ordered out while they deliberated about it. Clearly, they hadn't known that part – which was exactly why Asriel had thought to frame it that way.

They needed to be in the city during the break-out, to make sure that their innocence was not only obvious, but documented; it would be easy to suspect them, after all.

But in the morning, they would return to the Human City Hall in the pretence of talking about the by-law. And, once it was made clear that Undyne was gone, proving Gaster to be as unreliable as they claimed, they would then finally blow every whistle there was to against him and Deltarune, at last.

And hopefully then, they all hoped, everyone would finally see Gaster for what he was, and the power would shift again - for the better.

But so much could fail between now and then…

Asgore had to pull Toriel back into the house, as she'd frozen in the doorway, trying not to cry. The second the door closed, she failed, and Asgore held her tight, letting himself join her.

They shared that weep for longer than anticipated, but they still had time. They knew how to make time for grief.

“I'm _terrified_ , Gorey,” Toriel whispered. “It's not just us on the line, here.”

“I know,” Asgore agreed. “But the only time we'll get is now. Like before, he has given us no choice but to act. Only this time, enough is enough. We will stop him.”

“We will stop him,” Toriel echoed, closing her eyes.

For another long moment, neither moved or said anything.

Then, Toriel whispered, “Let's get ready.”

Asgore kissed her nose and obeyed.

* * *

Gaster returned to his office in high spirits. Tonight was a new night.

He'd heard about his Prime Ministers being cranky about the law that had the potential to ruin their lives, but it was hard to care when he was awake with his old-made-new-again plan.

When he saw sans's latest report on his desk, he remembered that Papyrus had bet set to meet Undyne, and he eagerly grabbed it, using one hand to open it and the other to rewind one of the tapes, the one that showed his sons returning to Papyrus's room before he woke up.

Once certain, he turned to the report.

Apparently, Papyrus liked Undyne – or _wanted_ to – but Undyne wasn't co-operating. She accused sans of trying to sabotage her, of trying to get her into further trouble, despite his constant reassurances of having permission. It was apparently a sad visit that didn't last long. 

It didn't discourage Gaster, like it probably should have.

It encouraged him.

Undyne's strange behaviour was making him impatient. The week was almost over, and he was itching to start anew.

And that was why he was in such a good mood: because now, he  _could_  start, and early. He wouldn't be breaking his word: _Undyne_ would still have her full week.

And _he_ would get his full restart, almost to the exact letter, the only variable the one he hoped would change the results.

With a lift in his gait, he flitted about his office, taking out the other reports and spending the time he needed to kill re-reading them, making separate notes he would likely need in mere hours.

He was already so excited: the time to wait was over. He'd given them their chance, and it had been blown.

Now, all of the cards were his.

* * *

Mettaton offered to carry Alphys, again, but she declined. She knew it would likely attract attention, and the last thing she needed was to do that.

But she held his hand. That, she needed.

She was scared.

He felt her fingers shake, and he squeezed her hand. Now that they were on their way to Deltarune, it meant that the plan was officially starting, and for real.

There were no more options.

There was no more time to think of alternates.

This was the plan, and that was that.

She wished Metta could come in with her, but it was enough to know that he would be waiting outside. He was trusted with one of the most important parts, and she wouldn't even see it through; she had to stay behind, to pretend to not be involved…

It was all she should think about.

Toriel, however, could only think of her husband. They also held hands, and while hers shook, his did, too. She looked up at him, and though he purposefully kept his eyes away, he tried to smile. It was small, and weak, and she knew he didn't want this.

But she also knew that he knew – and _accepted_ – that it had to be this way; he would do all that it took. He was meant to help Mettaton, then return home and pretend he'd been there the entire time, something they'd already asked their neighbours and staff to lie about if asked. (They were loyalists, and were happy to.)

In no time, it seemed, they were _there_ , and for a moment, the four didn't move, staring up at it.

It looked like a block of cement, one that could tip over and crush them all beneath it, and without any warning.

Toriel felt as if she would make it fall if she walked in, though why, she didn't know.

But eventually, hands were let go of, and hugs were exchanged. They made it look as much like routine as possible, and Asgore and Mettaton even pretended to leave the way they came.

Both watched Toriel and Alphys disappear behind those doors, and both sent up the same silent prayer to the universe: that they would see them both come out of those same doors, and safely.

Only one of those prayers was answered.

* * *

Undyne swam laps underwater, trembling so hard that her teeth chattered. She was waiting for the signal – there were three options, and she needed to be ready in seconds with the right response.

But all she could think of was Alphys.

 _Something is wrong,_ she knew, her eye wide and bright with terror. _Something is very wrong._

_We haven't thought of something crucial, I know it._

_I just don't know what it is!_

She made sure several times that everything was ready and in place, including all of the extra stuff she would need to bring. All were hidden around the room, in ways that were obvious only to her.

She wanted to get started already, but still needed to await a signal.

It was agony.

The sooner she saw Alphys, the better.

* * *

While Gaster had rewound the tape, sans had left Papyrus's room. But later, when asked, he confessed that he hadn't known he'd gotten that lucky. He'd been ready with an excuse if needed, one that Alphys had even helped him with.

But he didn't need it. He casually walked down the hall, hands in his pockets, and went down several other halls, turning and taking staircases in seemingly randomised ways.

It wasn't.

Once he found the room he was looking for, he made sure not to go in until he spotted the camera. When he did, he made note of it quickly, went into the room, and shut and locked the door behind him.

He didn't move, making sure not to be in the camera's way.

 _Yet_.

* * *

Papyrus left his room when Gaster for certain was watching, something they had all counted on. They knew _he_ would be watched above all else, and they were right.

Therefore, Gaster missed what he'd been waiting for, and ended up not getting the chance.

 _Yet_.

Instead, he saw his son, and he lit up. He remembered the report, and he suddenly wished to know more, and from his son, himself.

Quickly, he paged Papyrus, and when his son smiled, he did, too.

So far, so good.

* * *

Toriel and Alphys pretended to use their lockers, then moved to get their carts for the day. Both put their belongings into Alphys's empty laundry bag, then pretended it was already getting full whenever someone saw, with a crack about the laziness of the linens staff if need be.

With a shared look of nervous determination, they took hold of their carts and waited.

The night was about to begin.

* * *

Papyrus made it to Gaster's office, greeting him cheerfully. He found that it was genuine, and he wondered where such duplicity came from, and why it was so easy to fall back to being like this.

He hated that about himself, but at least it was useful.

Gaster was all smiles and jubilant hand-gestures, and Papyrus sat down in front of the monitors, positioning himself right over one in particular, an act he made look as casual as the smile on his face.

_For now..._

* * *

sans mentally counted down the time it would take Papyrus to get to Gaster, then waited an extra five minutes for good measure. They hadn't planned on that part, but a visit to Papyrus's actual room, and he hoped his brother still knew what to do.

When he sensed it right, sans slipped out from his hiding spot, ducked right into the camera’s view, and knelt down in the corner adjacent to it.

Making sure his back was to the lens, sans took a small metal box out of his pocket and pressed it against a larger one attached to the wall before him, one that sprouted pipes going in every direction.

He grinned and made sure the little box was secured, then flicked a switch on the side of it.

A small blue light began to flicker, and when it had done so ten times, sans was already making his way out the door.

When it hit twenty-five, it exploded.

And like magic, the power went out, and all was plunged momentarily into darkness.

* * *

Undyne looked up, then pushed herself up and out of that pool. She was moving before she could even wring her hair out, knowing where to go by muscle memory, alone; the hangar was very dark, but she was used to that, by now, and knew where to go.

Once she had her and Papyrus's bags secured to her body, she quickly moved to stand beside the door, right where it would open, first.

Her heart beat so fast that she felt it in her throat, and she was dizzy.

But this _was_ the plan. This was perfect, so far.

So she had to trust it.

* * *

Papyrus jolted, just as Gaster threw himself to his feet. The room went dark, and the sound of Gaster typing filled the air.

Before Papyrus could speak, small red lights began to light up each corner of the room from in the ceiling, giving the room just enough light to see. They were magic, those lights, but they weren't enough. Deltarune needed electricity _and_ magic, not just one or the other.

Something had gone wrong.

Gaster frowned, his eyes going automatically to his screens, expecting the magic to be just right for them to still work.

But they were all blank.

The cameras were dead.

* * *

Most of the employees either went back to the lockers or stayed right in place, sitting down and refusing to move unless it was closer to one of the red lights. Nobody worked.

Only Toriel and Alphys moved, and they did so that made sure they encountered as few people as possible. They pretended they were on their way to clean up “the cause”, and nobody contested it. It was more like a novelty than anything else, and people were more amused than scared.

Therefore, it was easy to get into the hangar, and easier to bring one of Alphys's into it.

For a moment, once they saw each other, they embraced, unable to do anything before doing at least that.

Then, they kissed, perhaps too long, but both were smiling.

Toriel didn't really mind, but they parted once she cleared her throat.

Undyne grinned. “Okay. Which one?”

Alphys pointed to her cart, and she nodded. “Sweet,” she agreed. She looked at Alphys. “Take me home?” she requested.

Alphys nodded with a smile, the words meaning so much more to her.

Undyne bit her lip, then quickly crawled into the cloth bag. She was just slim enough, though if in better light, the mishappen bulk was obvious.

Before she closed the lid, however, she held up a hand to Alphys. It was the same single-handed gesture that Alphys had signed to her, and Undyne now knew what it meant. Her smile to Alphys was _gorgeous._

Alphys returned the sign with tears in her eyes, her smile hurting her cheeks.

Then, the lid was pulled down, and Undyne went quiet and still.

Toriel and Alphys pulled the cart out of the hangar, leaving Toriel's right outside it.

Together, they ran the cart back toward the supply area, then past it, moving into the lockers. It was hard work, and it was terrifying, but both pretended not to notice, and kept going.

_Almost there…_

* * *

sans ran to the hangar with a spare cart, seeing Toriel’s already there and feeling hope grow within his breast. He left it there, then stopped for a moment, unsure of where to go. He needed his brother with him, because _they_ needed to leave _with_ Undyne.

 _No_ , sans corrected, _Papyrus needs to leave with Undyne. I don't. If I stay, it could look like a hostage situation, and it would look even worse on dear old Pa…_

sans was almost mad that he hadn't thought of that, sooner, but it didn't matter, now.

Papyrus needed to leave Deltarune.

 _Now_.

* * *

“FATHER, I WANT TO FIND SANS.”

 _‘Absolutely not, you will not go out in a power-out,’_ the bright words answered.

“SANS IS ALONE, RIGHT NOW!” he protested. “HE SHOULD AT LEAST BE HERE WITH US!”

Gaster considered, even while he scrambled to get the power back on, still. It was true, and if he knew where sans was during this potential danger, it was better than not at all.

 _‘Alright, quickly,’_ Gaster answered, knowing it would likely help Papyrus feel better, too. _‘Come back as soon as you find him.’_

Papyrus was about to answer an affirmative, but stopped himself. Instead, he paused at the door, then said, “THANK YOU, FATHER. SEE YOU SOON.”

Gaster nodded, and Papyrus left, his heart aching, just a little. He hated that the last thing that he would ever say to his father would be a lie, despite it all…

He had no idea that he was telling the truth.

* * *

“oh, thank fuck.”

Papyrus turned, trying to make out anything, but his night vision was terrible. He knew it was sans, however, so he reached out blindly.

Since sans could see better, his hand was taken and squeezed, then tugged on.

“hurry,” was all sans said, before they were running.

Papyrus had his eyes closed the entire time. He was useless in the dark, anyway; not even the red witchlights were bright enough to help him, but sans never failed him. He knew exactly where to go, already, and Papyrus was glad.

He then felt different air upon his bones, and he opened his sockets, again.

It was still dark, but in a way that Papyrus could finally see through.

“it's just this way, bro--,”

He never finished.

The power came back on.

* * *

Just as it did, Toriel and Alphys got the cart right over the edge of the property line of Deltarune – right where Asgore and Mettaton were waiting.

Asgore grabbed the edge of it and pushed it into a nearby bush, where it was covered despite the returned lighting.

Mettaton moved to check on Alphys, but he barely got a glimpse of her, because right when Toriel moved to hug Asgore briefly.

She then moved, about to lead Alphys back inside, just as they heard the sound of a loud voice, one that was funneled outside through magical speaker. It was automated, heard every day, but the words it spoke had never been said, before then.

Undyne heard the words and cried out, trying to push herself out of her basket to protest.

Alphys, hearing it, herself, went pale, and she leaned hard on her cane, her eyes going wide and bright with fear. She trembled, looking over at Mettaton.

Then, she carefully tucked her cane under an arm, and signed to him, her eyes burning and determined. There would be no arguing with her.

‘Hold her back and keep going. It's fine. We expected something like this, remember?”

Toriel looked at her with helpless dismay, one that she shared with Papyrus – who was looking at sans.

“I CANNOT JUST LEAVE YOU BEHIND!” he said to sans. “WE ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO GO _NOW_ , TOGETHER!”

‘Go! I'll find you!' Alphys agreed, trying to pull sans behind Asgore.

But sans pulled away, instead moving to stay at her side. “we stay together. she's right: get undyne to the lab and lock it down. once we can, we'll catch up.”

They had no time spend on arguing this, but they still wasted it. They wish they had more.

But already they'd had too much.

Undyne was protesting, her words muffled into nonsense, and it brought Alphys to tears.

‘I'm sorry!’ she signed. ‘I promise you – _and_ her – that I will catch up! We will escape here! All of us!'

Undyne had gone quiet, as had everyone else, when she realised that the silence meant Alphys was signing. She wished she could see it. She wished she knew enough to privately reply...

When the electronic page was sent out a second time, they knew it was over.

“See you soon,” Toriel promised - or perhaps begged - before she, Alphys, and sans hurried back into Deltarune.

“Let's go, then,” Asgore said to the others.

Mettaton wanted to protest, as did Undyne, especially since they were leaving her sole reason for leaving, behind. But when Papyrus soon managed to squash himself into the bag beside her, in order to hide, she calmed down, distracted.

But she knew.

No matter how many times Papyrus made her laugh.

She still knew.

Something had gone wrong, and it was too late to fix it.

And she didn't know what.

But she soon would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been telegraphing what's about to happen pretty blatantly, but just in case, just as a warning: it's about to get shitty and violent. I'm sorry in advance.


	54. Another Plan

Gaster was paging Alphys, sans, and Papyrus to his office.

When he saw only two of them start to walk toward him, his heart suddenly turned to ice.

_Where is Papyrus?_

He leaned closer, his eyes darting to each screen desperately, looking for any sign of his youngest child.

Nothing.

_Is he in his bedroom, now? Had he found sans and went back there?_

_Why is sans not there with him, if he's still there?_

His heart raced painfully. He actually felt _fear_.

When there was a knock, he opened it, and sans came in first, followed by Alphys, who walked in using her cane. She tried to remain behind sans, but since she was a tiny bit taller than him and much wider, she could not hide.

sans let her stay where she was, instead staring into his father's eyes.

He felt fearless, now. He felt arrogant.

He felt… triumph.

 _Nothing you do or say can do shit to me,_ he told his father silently. _Your means for torturing me has escaped, and you mean nothing to me, now._

_I have nothing left to fear from you, and don't even care what you're going to do, now._

He was so very wrong.

‘Where is Papyrus?’ Gaster signed.

No, _What happened?_

No, _Do you know anything about what just happened?_

Just, _Where is my trump card?_

sans clenched his hands and sighed. “it was dark. we might have missed each other. i was looking until i was _called away._ you have the cameras, not me!”

 _Shut up,_ he told himself quickly. _Shut up, shut up. Say too much and you look guilty._

Alphys looked at Gaster from behind sans, then signed, her fingers trembling, ‘What do you need of me, sir?’ she asked.

Gaster stopped for a moment and suddenly considered this question.

He knew the answer. He'd brought her here to answer it.

_But to do so in front of sans? And while Papyrus is potentially missing…?_

But what other chance would he get but now?

If anything, that power-out had worked well in _this_ regard: Gaster had an excuse to corner Alphys in his office, to get her here in the first place, in order to get to work.

Except he still felt like _something_  horribly wrong had just happened, right before his eyes, and he wouldn’t find out until too late…

 _‘You,’_ Gaster said to his daughter, his eyes going to one of his desk drawers. _‘Be quiet and stay put.’_

Alphys paled, her eyes going to sans's, before they lowered, her hands going to her front, her fingers tangling together. She was now terrified.

‘Where is Papyrus?’ Gaster repeated angrily.

“again--,”

Gaster reached out and grabbed sans by his neck, pulling him off of his feet and yanking him forward, so that he slammed into the desk that stood between them.

sans didn't make a sound, instead reaching up to grab his father's arm, trying to loosen it enough to pull away, but that was it.

Alphys gasped and reached out, grabbing hold of the back of sans's coat, but it slipped from her reach.

 _‘What have you done?’_ Gaster's second set of hands demanded.

Sans closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they were empty.

He grinned, his hands on Gaster's arm, instinctively trying to get away despite it all.

He grinned, and he shook his head.

Alphys stared at both of them, her hands over her mouth and her entire body shaking.

Behind her, on screen, Toriel had returned to the hangar and was making her way into it.

Gaster’s eyes were drawn to that screen, and he let go of Sans in order to manipulate a few of the nearest cameras toward her.

Only now did he notice that there were _two_ carts, there.

 _So Alphys had every intention of continuing to try to speak with Undyne,_ Gaster realised, barely hearing Sans collapse to the floor and try to catch his breath.

_Or at least do her job like usual, despite it all...?_

When Alphys moved to help Sans, Gaster’s eyes went to hers, and she went still, her face paling and her body awash in tremours.

He was seeing her. She did not like it.

‘You,’ he signed with his hands. ‘Do you even know why I have called you here, tonight?’

She shook her head.

‘Did you know anything about this?’

She repeated the gesture, genuinely confused, now. He wasn't accusing her of anything, yet – because he had yet to know of anything to blame her for.

He thought.

 _‘Get out, Sans,’_ the words commanded, just as sans’s eyes glittered back to life, and they blazed at his father with rage. _‘Find your brother. Stay with him until I call for you.’_

When sans hesitated, Gaster felt a sinking in his gut.

 _‘Is there a reason why you're hesitating?’_ he baited.

sans closed his eyes, then shook his head.

Behind him, Gaster saw Alphys look relieved, but sans was gone before he could do anything about that.

Instead, he sat down. He opened his drawer and took what he needed out and rested it across his lap, out of sight.

Alphys stood there, trembling and unable to speak. She tried. Her hands twitched, trying to move them away from her chest, but she couldn't.

She didn’t know what to say.

Gaster looked at her, seeing the terror and the guilt in her face, and he wondered why. _He_ knew that she'd broken the rules, already; did _she_?

She seemed to. She refused to meet his eyes, and she shook.

To make sure she saw what he said, he made his words glow. ‘ _Alphys, why don't you tell me why you think you're here.’_

Alphys's mind went even blanker.

They hadn't prepared for this, for an interrogation.

They hadn't been prepared to be questioned this soon.

As far as she knew, Gaster still had no clue what had been done; only that something bad had happened.

‘ _We both know you've been lying to me,_ ’ he went on, making sure her eyes read the words before he made more. _‘We both know that there is more going on than even I know. It seems you already know. Why don't you tell me?’_

Alphys stared at those words. Again, she was amazed by how _perfect_ they were.

Like her mother, Gaster knew how to phrase things in order to make certain that nothing, least of all blame, could ever be led back to him.

He was gambling with her, she knew it, and yet her cards were so bad that his couldn't be any worse…

But then, something caught Gaster's eye, and he went silent, the words vanishing. He sat up, one hand tightening around what he held, as the second he did, Toriel came out of the hangar, her expression one he’d never seen, before.

_Abject terror._

Alphys watched him, even as he didn't know it and watched Toriel, and with his expression, she knew. She didn't have to know what he was seeing. She didn't even need to turn around.

She knew.

She knew, because his face went from coyly arrogant to… _devastated_. _Completely_ devastated.

He stood up, one hand slamming into his desk, and she jumped from that, alone.

Unfortunately, it was that movement that reminded him of Alphys, and his eyes returned to her.

This time, their eyes met.

This time, there was no hiding from him the satisfaction in her gaze, not even when true fear began to cloud it over.

When he saw that, he knew that she had _everything_ to do with it.

Now, he realised that she'd had everything to do with it from the _start_.

He could see, the longer he looked at his daughter, just how much of a stranger she had become, and he began to catch up.

 _‘ You,’_ the word appeared between them, even as he saw Toriel rush from the hangar – and, with a slight jolt, he suddenly saw sans do the same from Papyrus's room.

Alphys stared at it, shaking her head. But even she knew that gesture was a lie.

‘ _You did this_ ,’ his words spelled out.

He saw Toriel and sans meet in the hallway, sharing a look of genuine fear, before they split up and switched places, to help the other find their missing people.

‘ _You did whatever this is,_’ he went on, ignoring her head-shaking, ‘ _You really are connected to her, aren't you?’_

When Alphys tried to deny it, yet again, she found something suddenly shoved into her stomach, something hard and cold.

She went still, as Gaster was holding the other end, his eyes blazing into hers with rage.

 _‘You have been lying to me,’_ he finally understood, his insides quaking. ‘ _You_. _You wrote the reports. You made it seem like your connection had been reversed, or had somehow been perverted.’_

Alphys didn't move. She stopped pretending.

Instead, she went still, her eyes going back to his, and when he saw them, he almost pulled away.

She looked at him with open, naked defiance.

And with it, he knew that his accusations were true.

He hadn't wanted them to be. He'd even said them in hopes of them being too _ludicrous_ to be true.

But when he saw those eyes, he saw the truth, and not because he saw the glint of a Boss within them.

No, he saw _Alpha_ within them, the one that had left him a pregnant widower.

And that sliced into his soul.

 _‘I'm right,’_ the words slowly accused, their font shaky and uneven. ‘ _This is all your fault. You did this. You made them do this with you. You even planned this!’_

That last part wasn't true. He only knew it because, though she looked more and more defiant the longer he spoke, on _those_ words, her eyes faltered.

She looked away, and he knew: _this_ was not according to plan. This was perhaps the one thing not going according to plan.

_Indeed._

_‘You're not supposed to be here,’_ he concluded, pressing the tip of the Howdy-Do harder against her belly.

She choked, stumbling back and landing against the monitors, but again, her hands remained still. She looked pretrified, showed all signs of barely-restrained panic…

…and yet those eyes still mocked him for seeing him as the fool he was.

_‘Where did you take them?’_

Alphys's heart suddenly lifted, because with that question, she realised they had won.

If Gaster was so desperate as to ask the one question only _she_ could apparently answer, then it meant that they had finally managed to jump a step ahead of him.

And the joy of it made her _grin_.

Gaster stared at her, and she stared back. Her smile didn't waver. Neither did the spark in her eyes.

Nothing he did to her, now, mattered to her.

She had what she'd wanted.

Undyne was free.

Nothing else mattered.

‘ _Well then,’_ the words wisped out in front of her, just as he moved away from behind the desk and stepped forward, pushing the rod into her stomach.

She gasped again and tried to squirm to the side, but he now had her pinned like a moth on display. She gritted her teeth, her eyes filling with pained tears, and she closed them quickly, before he saw them.

He grabbed her chin and dragged her head up with his other hand, but though her hands were free, she did not use them to try and stop him. Instead, she kept her eyes closed tight.

Until he slapped her, that is.

She didn't even realise what had happened until all she could see was stars, then nothing, for far too long. She gasped, feeling herself tip over, but she was still pressed against the monitors, and she only sagged forward over the Howdy-Do, coughing hoarsely.

When he touched her chin, again, she opened her eyes.

‘ _You were always a fast learner,’_ were the first words she saw.

There it was.

It was an opening, one that was meant to make her stumble, confuse her into stupidity. There was no other reason for him to mention it, save to make a point.

But she did not react the way he'd wanted.

She smiled, again, and finally, she raised her hands to speak.

‘I take after my _dam_ , not my _sire_ ,’ she signed slowly, her fingers trembling so hard she almost made it gibberish.

He knew she'd signed true. He knew it. He'd seen what she'd said, and knew it was no mistake.

But he couldn't believe it.

And because of that, he reacted with his emotions, instead of common sense – or even sadism.

Without a word, he pushed the Howdy-Do forward as hard as he could, enough to hear her try to scream.

When her eyes closed and her face went pale, he was the one grinning.

Then, he did what he had called her here to do, from the start.

He pressed the button on the Howdy-Do and fired as much electricity as he could into her abdomen.

But he'd forgotten.

Instead of jolting her into unconsciousness, the shock _woke_ Alphys, as electricity was her power.

Her hands went up, grabbing hold of the source blindly but without fumbling. She gritted her teeth and closed her hands around the white-hot metal, focusing everything she could on trying to pull that power into her slower. It needed to be done in a way that would energise her, as well as direct it out of herself, before its damage lasted long enough to hurt her irreversibly.

But he caught on. He saw her try, and as soon as she was about to let it loose, he shifted the rod within his hands. He moved it up – and toward her neck. The butt end slammed into the bottom of her chin, causing her teeth to clack together and her head to explode with pain, the back of it smashing into one of the monitors.

Then, she lost hold but without control, and the electricity went wild and short-circuited between them.

The rod became too hot in Gaster's hand, and he dropped it, just as Alphys dropped to the floor of his office, unconscious. She'd failed: the electricity had found her.

But thanks to her, the Howdy-Do was toast, now, he knew. He sighed, not daring to touch it, as it smoked from both ends and crackled in-between.

He instead looked at his daughter, shocked into immobility. Now, she looked tiny, powerless, like the meek little mouse he'd hired mere months after he'd ruined her life.

There was no sign of the stranger he'd seen glaring up at him, before, her smile as acidic as the most volatile of chemicals…

And while being one of the mostly useful, too...

 _Well_ , he thought, standing back up and making sure he was fine. _At least one thing has gone according to plan._

His calm approach would change once he discovered the _extent_ of the loss – but only one person would ever know how deeply the loss cut.

Just not yet.

With a final glare to Alphys, he went back to work, deciding to deal with what he was most afraid of, last.

It would be his final mistake.

* * *

They waited for Alphys in Waterfall's tunnel, right at its entryway. It was what they'd arranged it, and once Asgore had made sure they were safe, he'd gone back toward New Home, needing to be at the Palace as soon as the sun came up. His lack was pretty blatant.

Undyne pulled herself free of the cart, then helped Papyrus with the same. Mettaton ripped the bag from the rim of the cart, then left the empty cart discarded in the tunnel niche behind them. He tied the bag and kept it over his shoulder, while Papyrus and Undyne stood in silence, waiting.

The longer they waited, the worse it felt – especially for Undyne.

But not as expected. 

She began to feel frightened, and in a way that made her feel dizzy.

“Something's gone wrong,” she whispered, rubbing her forehead. “Alphy should be here, by now.”

“NOT IF SHE HAS TO PRETEND TO BE AN INNOCENT PARTY,” Papyrus reminded her. "OR HAS TO FINISH HER SHIFT."

It was a good point. And there was always lunch.

Mettaton nodded. “Why don't you sit down in the water outside for a bit, Undyne? Papyrus can go with you.”

“YOU CANNOT?” Papyrus wondered, even as Undyne considered.

“I think I probably can, but just to be on the safe side, I’ll wait in here,” Mettaton agreed gently. He had begun to grow fond of the young man, too, in a kind of mentoring sort of way, and found his optimism for life refreshing.

Papyrus nodded, then looked at Undyne. “I THINK THE WATER IS A GOOD IDEA,” he told her. “YOU LOOK PALE.”

She could feel it. She wasn't feeling so well, and it was possible that the lack of water immersion was it, especially since, now away from the healing waters, she could feel her injuries far more powerfully.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Papyrus offered her his arm, and she took it. She pressed a button, and suddenly, with a swoosh, she knew where she was – only she was now on the other side.

_The abyss._

Her eyes filled with tears even before her feet touched the tiles, and they refilled once Papyrus helped her sit down upon them. Seeing the tears, he moved to pull away, but she didn't let him. She needed someone, someone who knew what fear was, especially the kind spent waiting for answers, and that was him, right now.

“I'm terrified she won't meet us here,” she whispered weakly, leaning over to press her cheek against his smooth epaulet. “I just got her. I can't lose her… I love her so much…”

Papyrus had no problems with Undyne’s need for touch, as he felt the same, just as she assumed – for both sans and Alphys, now. He hugged her around her shoulders, so that she could rest her head more comfortably, and she did, her tears increasing.

“I'm so scared,” she whispered. “I would _die_ without her. She's my _everything_ …”

Papyrus nodded. “I UNDERSTAND, ONLY PLATONIC AND FAMILIAL,” he confessed, and she nodded, grateful. “I'M SCARED THAT FATHER WILL HURT SANS, OR THAT LADY TORIEL WILL BE PUNISHED.”

Undyne opened her eye at that. “Nah,” she corrected. “We don't gotta worry about her. She's been a warrior long than our lifespans combined. I know that if she had to, she would kill. She'll be fine."

Papyrus went quiet at that. In truth, it surprised him. Such a thing never occurred to him.

“SHE _IS_ A KILLER,” he realised. “I ALWAYS FORGET THAT.”

Undyne nodded. “Yeah, but I know: she didn't do a lot of it, and when she did, it was always the last choice, and she made sure the family was looked after, after the wars ended.”

Papyrus was quiet. He had not known about that. He was yet again reminded of so much that he didn't know, especially about his own father's enemies. How much he wished he knew, or perhaps _should_ know…

“I just hope Alphy is safe,” Undyne then whispered.

“WOULD IT DISTRACT YOU, IF WE PRACTISED OUR SIGN LANGUAGE?”

Undyne smiled at him. “You mean, if I attempted it and you patiently try to explain the basics for the fiftieth time? Hell yeah.”

With a shared laugh, that was what they did.

But not for as long as either had liked.

* * *

“Where is she?”

“we got separated at his office.”

Toriel swore, a lot, and closed her eyes, shocked by how much she wished to either sob – or punch sans out.

“You left her _behind?!”_ she hissed out, trying not to cry.

“had to,” sans muttered. To his credit, he looked as guilty as he was. “if he got hold of me, everything would have been fucked.”

Toriel covered her eyes, silent for a long time.

Then, “Does he know?”

“dunno.”

Toriel couldn't help it at that; she started to weep.


	55. Failure

Undyne blinked, then repeated her hand gestures, making sure Papyrus was watching.

He was, and when she finished, he knew what she was trying to do. “YOU'RE TRYING TO GIVE ALPHYS A NICKNAME!”

Undyne smiled, blushing a little. “Yeah,” she agreed, “a specific one: Alphy.”

“WHY NOT JUST SPELL IT OUT?”

Undyne hesitated, her smile flickering, and it became sad. “Because I promised her that I'd learn enough to do it on my own, in my own words, so it means more. She told me what signs she used for my name, and I wanna do the same.”

She showed him, and he smiled wider; it was so romantic! “SHE _ADORES_ YOU!” he declared.

Undyne went redder, and her smile widened, almost hopefully. “Yeah, I guess… I mean _, I_ adore _her_. A lot. Look, just watch again and tell me if it's good--,”

He stopped her. “IT IS,” he promised. “THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE HER, GREET HER THAT WAY?”

Undyne's hands dropped, and she blinked slowly. She felt strangely lethargic all of a sudden. “Yeah? You really think…?”

Papyrus noticed, and peered down at her. “UNDYNE?” he called. “ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

She blinked again, slower, but her eye didn't see his. Instead, she flinched, her hands going to her belly, and she hissed out, hunching over. One hand reached out, but when Papyrus tried to grab it, she jerked it away.

Her eye was blind, but her mind was not.

In those seconds, through their connection and shared pain, they saw the other.

Alphys was on the floor of Gaster's office, her eyes staring up at the ceiling just as blindly, her body limp and her breaths almost… _still_ … _too_ still…

Until there was a slow blink, another, then…

…nothing.

Nothing but darkness.

 _“ALPHY--!”_ Undyne screamed, the word dragged out from deep within her breast.

She felt more pain, pain she couldn't shrug away, and when she again tried to connect to Alphys...

…her eye rolled up and she crashed into the tiles, out cold.

* * *

Mettaton had heard it all.

He'd sat at the doorway, cursing his advanced hearing, and even when he tried to muffle the words, he couldn't.

He heard all of what Undyne and Papyrus had said to each other, including the stuff about Alphys.

He'd heard the way Undyne had spoken, the way her voice lilted higher whenever talking about Alphys, and he knew what it meant.

He knew, and the longer he heard it, the worse he felt.

 _I am so stupid_ , he thought.

 _Of course she would fall in love with someone like Undyne,_ he reasoned, not even aware that he was sliding down the wall and onto the floor, holding his head in his hands.

_She's flesh. She's real._

_She doesn't hurt to hug and she can actually make love with her real, organic form…_

_While I… I just make her feel used…_

_I just use her and give nothing in return…_

That wasn't true.

But his fear was muddying up his reasoning, and it couldn’t be helped.

_I waited too long._

_No._

_I never even tried._

That, however, was true.

He’d never even asked her out on a date, had made her feel common when he made up those lies about pet-names, spoke only about platonic things, and had never once asked her about her love life…

_But still… that was because I thought I had time…_

He'd never imagined someone like Undyne coming between them.

_Am I going to lose her?_

Or worse: _Am I going to have to let her go?_

Then, he heard Undyne scream Alphys's name, and he forgot to answer either question.

* * *

Toriel and sans pretended to look over Papyrus's room and F-1, but after the third swap, they still had yet to be paged, like they expected to be. It was to the point in which they stopped in the hallway, keenly aware that they were not being watched. They even stared into one of the cameras, together, hoping their confusion would force Gaster to take action, but it was met with silence.

“Do you think he's even in the office?” Toriel murmured, her eyes remaining fearfully upon the camera. “What did he say to Alphys? About her?”

“you already know,” he snapped.

His fear was making him angry. He hadn't expected to care so much about Alphys, but he did. Now that they were so close, it seemed unfair that Alphys would be denied what she fought the hardest to earn.

And that he would be denied another real family member, another person he could love without being punished for loving at all…

_No. It can't happen that way._

_It has to work out._

_Eggs need to break to make breakfast, right?_

_It'll balance out, right....?_

“Okay,” Toriel said. “I'm going to check the office, in case he's there. While I do that, get to the tunnels, and get to the others, sans. They need to know what happened. Have someone stay by the phone in the Lab, and I'll see if I can call when I know anything.”

He nodded, looking pessimistic. “makes you wish phones were easier to carry,” he muttered. “they for sure won't be at the lab, already?”

“Of course not,” Toriel sighed. “Not without Alphys. But if you tell them to, they'll follow you there. If they hesitate, tell them they can call me. I'll find her. And then I'll find you.”

That left him quiet, and she made her leave.

With a frown, then a change of mind, sans ran off in the opposite direction, toward where she'd told him to go.

And then he made a detour, the best -  _and_ worst -decision of his life.

* * *

Gaster hadn't used them in years, but he knew them. He would always know them.

As he pushed one of the spare hospital cots ahead of him, one on which Alphys lay unconscious, his eyes went over the still-smooth, pristine walls, each speck of paint and flicker of witchlight of his making.

His, and Alpha's.

She'd somehow found a complete map of the internals of the volcano, in a way that made him suspect she paid off a spy - likely a ghost - but he hadn't cared, then, and certainly didn't care, now.

He didn't know that they were still being used, and mostly by Alphys - and that very same ghost.

But he wasn't the only one.

By the time he saw the familiar seal upon the door, he realised his blunder, and he almost smashed his head into the wall, so angry with his idiocy, but...

 _I have no way of getting in,_ he realised. _My eldest son has the only key._

_And as far as I know, he's part of this damned mutiny--_

"hey."

Gaster's eyes flared, and he turned, just as sans smiled - and pulled his hand out from under his sweater. 

"need this?" 

He did, in fact.

* * *

_Alphys_ , sans thought, as he now led his father into the True Lab, _Please forgive me for this._

_Please, if you survive this, forgive me._

He knew it was asking for too much, but he prayed, anyway.

* * *

Pain.

It woke Alphys, startling her into consciousness, almost. She jolted with a gasp, her eyes snapping blindly open – until she focused above, saw a ceiling she recognised.

She felt her heart begin to race, but instead of trying to ascertain why, she took an assessment of her body.

First, she was hurt, especially her gut, where he'd shoved that rod. It throbbed like an open wound, and she knew she likely had at least second-degree burns.

She squeezed her eyes closed for a moment, the light making them water, before she inhaled, trying to smell. All she got was a nose full of chemically-scented air, and she coughed. She then pushed her tongue out: it touched an oxygen mask.

Or what she thought was one, anyway. 

When she opened her eyes, again, she also tried to shake blood into her hands and feet – but failed.

Her stomach clenched, and when she tried to pull, each limb remained in place: buckled to the cot she was lying on.

Metal.

It was a metal cot.

And just like that, she got it.

 _No_ , she tried to scream out, pulling hard on her hands, but she failed, again.

She shook her head, trying to prise the mask off her snout by using her shoulder, but it was on too tight; she could barely part her jaws.

She realised she could hear beeping, fast, constant, and annoying, and she looked around, hoping that what she saw would not be what she expected.

But it was. She hadn't meant it this way, but at least she'd finally found it.

The place where it all began.

The place where she was even born.

The True Lab.

Alphys tilted her head back, and her eyes met another's, from a visage she'd hoped never to see outside of her dreams, but now was.

The Determination Extraction Machine.

* * *

Papyrus had caught Undyne, then started calling for Mettaton. Since he was already making his way, by the second call, he was standing beside them, then kneeling, his eyes now on Undyne.

He wanted to hate her, now. Knowing what he knew, assuming correctly what he didn't know for sure, should have him refusing to help her. She was, after all, pale and unconscious, and wasn't even responding to Papyrus, someone he knew she liked a lot, already.

Mettaton looked at her, however, and he didn't see a harlot who'd stolen his beloved from him. She wasn’t a whore who bewitched his benefactor.

She was a woman whom _his_ beloved saw as her own, and if he let her die, Alphys would never forgive him.

Especially if he knew the reason why.

Papyrus quickly explained, and Mettaton nodded. It reminded him of what Alphys had told him, before: the closer the two were, the more connected they were. Their minds would always be connected, but if they were kept far enough apart, perhaps Undyne would not be able to feel what Alphys was feeling…

 _Perhaps_...

That alone made Mettaton feel _awful_.

If Undyne was like this, then so was Alphys, and the idea terrified him.

“We can't wait here, anymore,” he told Papyrus, moving to pick Undyne up. It was easy – he was so strong, now – but even _he_ knew that her body was too heavy to be normal. “If we get her to the Lab, she might wake up on her own, or we could try and help her. But we need to go, now."

“BUT THE OTHERS--,” Papyrus tried. “MY BROTHER--!”

“—knows how to find us, remember?” Mettaton interrupted. “He and the Queen know that the Lab is our second-last stop. They'll find us there. But not if Undyne dies out here and we don't even know why. And at least there, we have a phone, so we can call someone if it looks like Undyne might die, anyway.

He paused, aware of how torn this made Papyrus feel, but he knew Undyne needed help, and the hallway wasn't where to get it.

“We can't depend on the others, yet," Mettaton added. "We have to go. I'm sorry.”

Papyrus looked horrified of the idea – and all that it implied – and got to his feet, taking the bag once they were back in the tunnels.

* * *

The office was empty.

Toriel stared into the small window and shifted her head at every angle, but she knew what she saw was true: there was no one there.

On a whim, she tried the door handle, and to her surprise, it was unlocked. She stumbled in, then quickly locked the door behind herself. She looked around, shocked that the place was empty – and vulnerable, yes.

But what shocked her the most was the evidence left behind, of violence.

Two of the screens were cracked, and one was dead and hot to the touch. She stepped over the Howdy-Do, not recognising it, and went right to the desk.

Sadly, the drawers were locked, and no amount of magic or punching would open them. She debated using the paging system for herself, to call for an all-out mutiny, but she couldn’t do that: it would only end up being suicide.

Plus, she needed to pretend she was innocent, until it was safe enough not to.

 _Find Alphys,_ she told herself, instead. _Later, fuck up his shit._

On that, she turned on her heel and ran from the office.

But once she'd started running, she couldn't stop.

She knew she should have. She knew later that it would have been best to.

It was just that, deep down, she knew: there was nothing left here for her, anymore. Once the sun rose, nothing would be safe or normal, again, and there was no use pretending otherwise, anymore.

Toriel kept running, tearing through the lockers, before she stopped long enough to break her lock and Alphys's and grab both of their coats, but that was the only stop she made.

Once her coat was buttoned up and she had all she needed or wanted, she started running again, and this time, she didn't stop.

The second the double-doors closed behind her, Toriel Dreemurr's time at Deltarune came to a final end.

* * *

There was no doubt: it _was_ the DTXM.

Alphys had seen it all of those years ago, back before her life ended, but it had never been used on her. She only knew what it did because of the notes left behind in the Lab she made her home.

It was scarier than she remembered.

For a moment, she just stared at it, shaking so hard that her teeth hurt, but she couldn't stop it.

Had it been used? Was that what woke her?

_Am I alone…?_

She hissed, then clenched a fist, closing her eyes and trying to summon her magic. Thanks to that electrocution, some of the power she'd managed to ferret away remained banked, so she quickly stopped in order to keep it, knowing she would likely need it, later.

She was right.

Now, Alphys knew: she had to make _noise_.

The True Lab was big, much bigger than her Lab, and she knew how easily sound was swallowed up within it. She tried to swing her tail, but sadly, Gaster had been smart, and had it belted against one of her legs. She growled, blinking hard and trying to see better, but it was not easy, despite the fact that, somehow, she still wore her glasses.

In fact, she was wearing everything she'd worn to work. She hadn't been changed out of them, like she had the first time she’d been here.

She didn't understand any of this, and that was the most terrifying fact of all.

For more minutes than she wished to count, Alphys tried to get free, or tried to make enough noise to attract attention, hoping that, if there was no Gaster, there would be at least _one_ other person here to help him, one she could ask to help her, somehow…

But Alphys had forgotten about Gaster's arrogance and greed. He would never want to share this opportunity with anyone, and especially wouldn't want to keep himself waiting for too long.

She was again right.

Soon, her eyesight was filled with words, and it took her a moment to understand.

_‘Is it not comfortable enough for you?’_

She snarled in reply, glad that she could at least make those sounds, and her eyes searched to find him, her hands clenching again. She couldn't speak, and he knew that; already, the torment had already begun.

Gaster finally moved into view, and she had to hand it to him: for someone as plain and almost invisible as him, at this moment, he looked _terrifying_. His greed had morphed him into someone she'd never seen before, someone she'd known but never face-to-face.

And yet, she knew he'd never looked at anyone like he smirked at her, now.

This was Gaster at his most sadistic.

_‘I know what you're thinking: you were promised a week, one I even extended for you, generously, when I owed you absolutely nothing.’_

She gave him a look that made her _actual_ thoughts clear: she did not find anything about this generous.

He laughed silently. _‘Oh yes, I know,’_ he agreed, crossing his arms as his other set spoke. _‘I know you think I owe you a great deal, Alphys. But I do not. I've already given you more than anyone else ever would have.’_

Alphys bared her teeth, straining to strike him, calling him every filthy name she could imagine in her mind.

_‘You disagree, Alphys, but it's true. The fact that you were able to play me so finely proves that.”_

Alphys went still at that.

He leaned closer, noticing.

Her eyes flicked to his for a moment, fearfully, before she quickly looked away, swallowing hard.

But his words still found her.

_‘I'm a monster of my word, and Undyne will get her full week, even after all of this - and I will find out all that you have done, believe me. And you will pay for it.'_

Alphys tried to close her eyes, tired of this, but he grabbed her chin and dragged her face back toward him, and the pain opened her eyes.

She glared into his, throwing every ounce of hatred into it, and with satisfaction, she saw surprise. It was minute, but it _was_ there.

‘ _But I'm also a man of his craft,’_ he went on, tightening his hold on her face. _‘I will not break my word, even though Undyne had broken it the moment she spoke to either you or Toriel.’_

Alphys paled a little at that; she hadn't known.

 _‘But, Alphys,’_ Gaster's words traced out, slowing down as he relished in what he was about to tell her.

_‘I made that vow with Undyne.’_

He raised his other hand, but didn't move it. He just kept it held up for a moment, long enough for Alphys to become fixated upon it, desperate to look at anything but those horrible words...

_‘I made no such promise with you, Alphys.’_

Her eyes flared wide, just as he let go of her chin – and used that raised hand to slap her, again, and right across her cheek.

When she managed to crack her eyes open, she saw two words, a simple phrase that would have been welcome anywhere else but here.

It was barely a sentence, and yet it broke her heart, and she even tried to wail, her eyes full of tears.

_‘Welcome home.’_


	56. Try, Try Again

The first thing they did once in the Lab was get Undyne up the stairs and into Alphys's bed, and quickly. Papyrus pulled the bed down from its niche in the wall, and Mettaton laid Undyne into it, and once she was still, carefully placed a light blanket over her.

For now, she was calm, if uncomfortable. Her expression was drawn, and her fingers kept twitching. Other than that, she didn't move, save the effort it took to keep breathing.

Papyrus was terrified, and he moved closer to the only other person he could trust, right now.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?” he asked Mettaton, his eyes on his new friend.

“I'm hoping she'll calm and wake up, now that she's safe,” Mettaton answered. “And then she can tell us whatever it was she saw.”

There was a small silence as they watched her.

Mettaton was almost jealous, as Undyne looked quite at home upon Alphys's old Murphy bed, as if she'd seen it or known it, before.

_What would it be like, to wake up nestled within sheets that still held the scent of your lover?_

_To know that scent viscerally, not just mentally, and feel physically better just from that, alone?_

_Do you have any idea how lucky you are?_ he demanded of Undyne's sleeping form.

_Do you have any clue how much I would give to be in that bed instead of you?!_

And yet even then, the anger was more sad than otherwise.

He couldn't blame this person. He couldn't even hate her.

It wasn't her fault.

But he still felt envy and yearning, and it still hurt.

But then, Papyrus proved to be a saving grace. “CAN YOU DRINK THINGS? IS THERE TEA WE COULD SHARE, WHILE WE WAIT?”

Mettaton stared at him, surprised, before he nodded. “Yes, of course,” he agreed. He gestured for Papyrus to sit down, and he did. “Do you have a preference?”

Papyrus shook his head, so Mettaton made green, a safe bet for anyone, even tea amateurs.

The apartment remained quiet, save the sounds of the tea being made, until it was served to Papyrus. He frowned, especially when Mettaton sat down with nothing, but Mettaton gestured again, this time for him to drink.

He did, and Mettaton was amazed: he couldn't see how it stayed between his jaws, or understand how it seemed to vanish, instead of simply dripping straight through his jaws and to the floor. Instead, Papyrus looked pleased, and sipped a few more times rather happily before saying so.

“You like tea?” was all Mettaton could think of asking.

“I DO,” Papyrus agreed.

And that was how they two became friends: they bonded over tea, while the lover of their shared friend slept, as they tried not to think of what that meant, especially since the apartment was full of what made Alphys who she was...

_But first, tea._

* * *

For a moment, Alphys cried and tried to pull free, and Gaster remained silent with his back to her, clearly preparing something.

She didn't want him to finish it.

She knew it was bad. She knew she had to stop it.

But she didn't know _how_. She couldn't even speak.

Suddenly, Gaster's words spoke to her, appearing in front of her like a teleprompter.

_‘I knew she would break her promise, of course. That she would speak to at least Toriel. I never thought she would be interested in you.’_

Alphys closed her eyes, but when he noticed, he turned back to her and slapped her, again, across the other cheek.

When she could, she kept them open, despite how many tears they shed.

_‘I should have. I realise that, now. By giving you her Determination, of course it would connect the two of you. I even saw that connection, right in front of my face, holding hands as you slept…’_

He paused, working hard for a moment, before he went on.

‘ _But then you made it seem like it was a false start,’_ Gaster accused. _‘Did you write those reports for sans? I admit, the writing was his, and we both know how atrocious your writing is, so perhaps not. But then, that forces me to accept the fact that sans has been helping you.’_

Alphys felt her heart race. She didn't want to get sans in trouble, but she didn't know how to tell him a lie in this state.

She had no idea what part he'd already played in her current predicament - and how big that part actually was. She didn't even know she was betrayed. 

That had been Gaster's idea, she found out later. Because of course he would invent such a torture for as many people at once. 

For now, sans remained hidden, waiting for his father's beck and call. 

He thought.

 _‘But then, perhaps bringing Undyne back at all was a bad idea,’_ he admitted.

She heard him rustling, capping and uncapping tubes of things, but she could only see his back.

_‘Especially since you worked for me, now. But I needed to see where I went wrong. I started this out badly. I wanted her to be on that tray. Not you.’_

Alphys closed her eyes briefly, feeling feel relief upon hearing those words. It was of course coupled with terror, but it was a far gentler version than the kind she would feel if Gaster's wish had come true. She was relieved that she was sparing Undyne this, even as she was in dismay that she must undergo it, instead.

 _‘But you kept getting in the way,’_ Gaster seemed to sigh. _‘And I admit, I was getting rather impatient. I knew something was wrong. I just didn't think to do what sans had done with his reports, and simply inversed what he wrote to reflect reality.’_

Alphys bit her lip at that. That was true.

Finally, Gaster turned around to face her, smiling and holding an empty beaker.

‘ _But now, some lemonade,’_ he decided.

He moved down toward the middle of the Machine's panel, one built into the wall that could be folded into it, and he placed the beaker between two slots. He made sure that Alphys saw exactly all that he did, and thanks to his efforts, he succeeded in his goal: she knew. She knew, and she started to panic.

She tried to scream, to kick, to arch up or down or at one side, anything to avoid her fate, but of course, she failed.

He ignored her efforts and went back to the panel, before he pushed a button, just as their eyes met.

He saw her blistering, triumphant hatred, and she saw his easygoing, unapologetic sadism.

And then, the Machine hummed to life, and Alphys saw nothing.

* * *

“Tori!” Asgore cried, before grabbing her into a fierce hug, burying his face into her shoulder. “What are you doing home so soon? What has happened?”

Toriel shivered. “Gorey, did they call?”

“Did they--?”

“Call! Did they call?!”

Asgore pulled away to take hold of her face. She stared up at him with open panic, her hands going to his, and she bit her lip to keep from repeating herself.

“The children called me an hour ago,” he answered gently, using his thumbs to brush away the tears from her cheeks. “They are safe.”

Toriel closed her eyes, for a moment unable to move.

This was the first time in a long time that she had no idea what to do. They'd _had_ a plan, and something had gone very wrong, despite all that hadn't. How could she have any other ideas, when one so perfect, one that should have worked, cost them so much?

“What happened to you?” Asgore whispered gently, kissing her forehead.

Her eyes opened slowly, before she met his, her eyes filling with more tears. Carefully, she sat him down, then explained all that had happened, she knew, and all that she didn't.

Asgore's eyes widened and remained as such since the end of her first sentence. She hadn't hesitated, hadn't bothered to attempt to censor any of her words, and yet all that happened was that his own eyes filled with tears. Nothing else.

No harm came to them. No NDA Gaster could ever make would be powerful enough to bind to a Boss Monster.

Now they knew for sure.

“And Alphys?”

She shook her head and sobbed. That was the worst part.

She didn't know.

She ran away, before she could look, herself, and though it shamed her, she couldn't help it. Her panic had overridden her fear, and she realised just how much they stood to lose if they lost Alphys to Gaster.

Toriel keened out, her knees giving out, and she wrapped her arms around Alphys's coat, wishing it were Alphys, wishing her dearest friend were in her arms and safe.

Instead, Asgore knelt with her and held her, and she sobbed into his chest.

They hadn't managed that step ahead, after all. And it crushed her.

* * *

She screamed. She couldn't help it.

Even as Alphys tried to redirect the electricity, the same way as before, she couldn't; her lack of freedom in her limbs meant that any bolt that entered would exit without her control.

And it was _hell_. _Worse_ than hell. _Beyond_ whatever hell could offer...

Gaster watched – of course he did.

The moment he decided to switch their fates, to start over again, but in reverse, he knew he had to see it all the way through. And while _this_ was happening earlier than expected, if what he feared _was_ true, then this was his only chance to get even, and he refused to miss out.

He had no doubt that they took Undyne.

He had no doubt that his eldest son was involved.

He had no doubt that Papyrus had been kidnapped.

But he did not know how to fix it.

So he did what he knew best.

He destroyed.

And once again, the target of that destruction just happened to be his daughter.

 _Stop…!_ she silently begged him, unable to open her eyes, anymore.

She had no idea how long it had been, no idea if she made a sound…

She barely could tell if she was even still alive.

All she knew was that hell.

* * *

Papyrus was just about to talk about Snowdin, and Mettaton was in all honesty interested, when they both heard a strange sound: a soft, confused cry of pain.

They turned, and Undyne was stirring awake before their eyes.

Undyne had no clue what had happened, her mind foggy. She reached out, and while her senses _did_ detect her beloved's scent, what they found was old. She pressed her fingers into the surface beneath her – and felt a near-threadbare, creaky old mattress.

Her eye snapped open, and that was when she'd cried out.

She knew this bed. She knew this room.

“Alphy?” she whispered.

Then, she bolted up, her hands reaching out and her heart starting to ache. _“Alphy--!!”_

By the time they both got there, Undyne had already fallen back down, dizzy and light-headed.

She almost fainted, but fought it, desperately.

_Surely if I’m in this bed, then Alphys must be near…?_

But when she opened her eye, Undyne saw only Papyrus and Mettaton.

And her stomach fell.

Now, she remembered what she'd seen before she passed out, and she pressed a hand to her stomach. It still felt tender, as though burnt by a heating pad on max, and she hissed, her eyes filling with tears.

_“No…”_

That almost broke Mettaton, hearing Undyne whisper that. Her eye had closed when she did, and she began to rock in place, struggling to hold in her tears, but she failed.

She suddenly felt a familiar gloved hand touch her shoulder, and she looked up, her face perplexed and bewildered.

“UNDYNE,” Papyrus said gently. “WE HAD TO LEAVE HER BEHIND, REMEMBER? AND THEN YOU CALLED FOR HER, AND FAINTED. WHAT DID YOU SEE?”

“Where is she?” Undyne asked back, shaking her head. “We left her behind, yeah, but Tori, and your brother--,”

“WERE ALSO LEFT BEHIND,” he finished for her. “BUT THEY'LL CATCH UP. WE JUST NEED YOUR HELP, OKAY?”

Undyne stared at him, gratitude rushing up within her, and toward him. He was treating her so kindly, aware of how scared she was, and how much she stood to lose.

She’d basically ruined his entire life, but here he was, comforting her...

“Why?” she blurted out.

Papyrus smiled. “BECAUSE SHE IS MY SISTER, AND I LIKE YOU. AND…” His smile faded. “I DON'T KNOW, ANYMORE. ABOUT… ABOUT THINGS I THOUGHT I KNEW FOR SURE--,”

Before he could finish, however, the phone on Alphys's wall began to ring.

It scared all three of them so badly that even Undyne cried out, but she also shrank back, as if it could see her now that it made noise.

Mettaton lit up and got to his feet, rushing to it and grabbing it up into his hands, already saying a greeting before putting it to his ear.

“Mr Mettaton! Is that you?”

It was Asgore.

“Yes,” he agreed, hope blossoming within him. “Has Toriel called you? What does she know?”

“Tori is home with me.”

It took a moment for those words to kick in. “What? She's there? During the work night?”

“He knows,” Asgore murmured. “He knows that at least Alphys is involved, as well as sans. Toriel told sans to meet up with you, however. Has he made it?”

Mettaton was stunned. In that small paragraph, Asgore had just told them that they'd failed.

“No,” he whispered, barely hearing himself. “He didn't. We had to come back on our own.”

Asgore pause, and there was a muffled sound.

* * *

“Tori, sans didn't get there,” Asgore whispered to her.

She raised her head from his chest, her eyes swollen and her face red and soaked to the skin with tears. She looked up at him blankly, as if expecting him to say something else, and she shook her head.

“He didn't make it, which means he might still be there,” Asgore elaborated – without needing to, really. “We still need his key.”

Toriel shook her head, but for a different reason. “But I told him to use the tunnels. I told him to _leave!”_

“Did he know about Alphys?”

“Yes, of course, he was the one who told me…” She felt the blood leave her face. “No. No, no, _no_! _Did he betray us?!”_

* * *

Mettaton heard that and immediately turned to Papyrus. “Your brother is missing. Did he... betray us?”

“NO,” Papyrus said honestly and truthfully.

Undyne started shaking. “Papyrus,” she murmured. “Where is Alphy?”

“I THINK WE NOW KNOW.”

* * *

“They think sans went back for her,” Asgore told Toriel.

Toriel blinked. It never occurred to her that he would do such a thing, because he'd never gave the impression that he cared enough to risk his neck, again – least of all about a sister he barely knew, who was however directly responsible for his current place in life…

“He could be helping,” Toriel confessed, knowing she had to. “If sans tipped him off that we were going to do this, it makes sense.” Her stomach clenched. “Because he's with no one else safer than us.”

“Does Papyrus know? Is he involved? If so, we have to get him away from--,”

Toriel held up her hand, then held it out for the phone. He handed it to her gladly, and she took it.

“Metta,” she said sharply. “Is Papyrus trustworthy?”

“Yes.”

He said it without a doubt, and it made her close her eyes. She knew he loved Alphys, and knew he wouldn't lie if it meant a risk to her.

Then, in the background, she heard a familiar voice murmur, before Mettaton added, “Undyne trusts him, too. And sans.”

That surprised Toriel; out of anyone, she never expected Undyne to trust sans, again. But if she was, then Toriel had to trust her, and that included trusting sans.

“Then we need to get to the True Lab,” she said. "Quickly!"

“Yes,” Mettaton agreed. “But if we go while he's there, we risk a hostage situation. We need to get her while she's alone.”

“WE NEED A DISTRACTION.”

Mettaton looked over, and saw that Papyrus looked already decided on the matter.

“I NEED TO GO BACK,” he said, aiming to be loud enough for Toriel to hear, too. “I'M THE ONLY ONE HE THINKS IS TOO STUPID TO BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED. HE PROBABLY THINKS IT WAS A KIDNAPPING.”

He sighed. “I NEED TO DRAW HIM BACK, AND WHILE I DO, YOU RESCUE ALPHYS AND SANS.”

“And where would that leave you?!” Undyne demanded. “He'll start on you, next!”

“NO, I TRUST THAT YOU'LL COME BACK FOR ME LONG BEFORE THAT HAPPENS,” he corrected, “AND HOPEFULLY NOT TOO LONG AFTER THE PRIME MINISTERS' SPEECH IN THE MORNING. BUT SOMETHING IS BOTHERING ME.”

“What?” Undyne asked.

“HOW DID GASTER GET ALPHYS INTO THE TRUE LAB, IF SANS HAS THE ONLY KEY?”

* * *

Even Toriel had no clue what to say to that.

Was it likely that such a thing could have happened?

That somehow, sans had betrayed them, but he hadn't meant to?

 _Or am I making excuses for a coward?_ she corrected, her heart bleeding.

“If you go back,” Toriel said to Mettaton, but while aiming it at Papyrus. “Then you risk being the only one not making it out.”

Mettaton repeated this, and it was met with silence.

Then, Mettaton murmured, “There's no changing his mind. He clearly has a back-up plan. I think we can trust him.”

Toriel closed her eyes. This was the worst part about being a monarch: being forced to make decisions that could cost lives – and innocent ones, at that.

But what choice did she have? Until this was over, and until it began to cool down, what else could they do but wait?

Who knows when a chance like this will spring up, again?

“Alright,” she said at last. “Ask him his plan, and then call me back once it's settled, understand?”

But she didn't get an answer.

Instead, in the background, she heard a blood-curdling scream.

Coming from Undyne.

* * *

She jerked and seized in place, soft cries or shattered shrieks escaping her, literal bolts of pain firing into her body and rendering her stupid to anything else.

It hurt. It hurt so much.

It hurt too much

It was hell.

* * *

Then, finally, the agony stopped, and Alphys dropped back down, limp at once.

Inside, she felt seconds from either passing out – or dying. Her heart beat weakly, fast and pathetically, and her breaths could barely keep up. Her eyes remained closed, sealed shut by pain and tears, and her whole body twitched here and there.

But she'd survived.

Barely.

She didn't expect what happened, next.

She had expected to pass out (or die; whichever), perhaps be slapped into either state, or until awake, again. She expected death very soon, followed by – she yearned – a better, happier rebirth.

But she would wait until it was Undyne's turn, too, so that they could be reborn together.

 _I'll wait for you_ , she thought, barely aware of what was happening around her – at first. _I'll wait there for you…_

It happened right after that thought: she heard it.

“did it work? did she still have it?”

Silence.

“wait, what? how is that possible? how can once not be enough?”

Alphys's whole body had gone cold, and she knew it was shock. She just didn't know what kind it was, yet.

She strained, trying to listen, but her body was starting to quit, and she really wanted to join it.

Still, just before, she managed to hear enough, and she had the proof she needed.

She just hoped she lived long enough to submit it.

“we'll get papyrus back, father. i know it.”

sans. It was sans.

And he was talking to Gaster.


	57. A Cowardly Traitor

Unfortunately, while Alphys did eventually pass out after the first round, it wasn't enough for Gaster.

sans didn't realise she had until Gaster – after cuffing sans upside the head – repeated himself, and even told sans to see for himself: the beaker was at _best_ half-full, and it was only big enough for one syringe – two, if Gaster mixed what he got from Alphys with something else to make up for the lack.

And yet it was barely halfway full.

He glanced at his sister, his soul falling to his feet. He knew she'd heard him speak, and he regretted that.

He hadn't wanted her to know. He hadn't wanted anyone to know. Not until it was all over and he could explain himself.

But perhaps that had been too much to ask for.

Wasn't it enough that Papyrus and Undyne made it?

 _As soon as I’m alone with her,_ he promised, _me and Alphys are gone._

_We just need to deal with this shit, first…_

_‘Check her pulse,’_ the words commanded of him.

“she's solid. she's clearly alive.” His eyes had been drawn away, to something he realised he'd never seen down here, before. "why the hell is _that_ down here?!" he snapped back, instead, pointing at it.

The tube.

He knew he shouldn't of said any of it, especially this late into the game, and especially with how delicate things were. He'd told Gaster whatever he'd wanted to know while they'd set up the DTXM, had given confirmation of several of Gaster's assumptions – including the reason why Alphys was so different, and why Gaster was to blame (though Gaster of course shifted it to Undyne).

He hadn't wanted to answer any of those questions, but knew better than to ignore them – not with Alphys in danger.

He'd known that he would have to betray his siblings in order to save them. He'd known it the second he ran for the True Lab, realising too slowly Gaster would do the same in his furious panic, despite not having the key.

But even with knowing all off that, he couldn't help it: he was terrified that, despite this sacrifice, it was going to end up for nothing. He knew Undyne and Papyrus had escaped, and it was likely that Toriel was never coming back after this, but he was scared.

He had no idea how much time he had left, if any.

So he'd answered that question the way he did, thanks to how he felt. And this time, he'd gone too far.

Gaster turned to him and grabbed him by the neckbone with one hand, the other slapping him upside the head, again, before shoving him back against the closest wall.

Sans went still, his eyes going out the second his father's hand closed around his throat, and he knew he'd gone too far. He said nothing, did nothing, and didn't even try to breathe.

Behind Gaster, his second pair of hands castigated Sans.

 _‘Are you trying to get me to kill you now, Sans?’_ was what they demanded. Gaster's face was _murderous_ , his eyes narrowed and his features twisted, making him into something actually scary.

Sans still didn't move. He didn't answer.

_‘You dare say such a thing to me, after coming to me with your ass dragging behind you? After all that you have done to bring us here? You dare be short with me, when this is likely your fault in the first place? You should be thanking me for not doing this to you, instead, if only you weren't such a useless piece of shit, already!’_

Sans didn't really read much of it once the insults began. Instead, he worked on trying to breathe stealthily, because right now, he needed that most of all.

But he knew what Gaster was saying, anyway. He didn't need to read it.

He saw those insults already, whenever he closed his sockets – they were just written in his own hand.

 _‘She is a Boss Monster, you fool!’_ Gaster finally exploded, his other hand slamming into the wall beside Sans's face. _‘Or did you forget?! Go check, now!’_

He turned and practically threw Sans ahead of him and out of his grip, and Sans dropped to the floor, hunching over to breathe at last. Gaster gave him perhaps five breaths before he was kicked, and with a slight stumble, Sans dragged himself forward and beside Alphys.

_She looks dead._

It scared him too much to touch her, the reality of Gaster's words crashing into him, but he shook it back. He reached up and pressed his fingers to her throat, feeling for a moment. Her skin was warm – hot, unnaturally so – and she was feverish and red but without any sweat and barely any tears, as if shocked dry.

But soon, he felt it: her pulse. It was faint, but it was there. He blinked his eyes to life for a moment, looked down to her chest to see if he could catch her breathing, and soon, he did; it was also faint, but there. Every few seconds, something seized, be it a hand, a leg, or even her face, but she didn't wake.

When he saw that Gaster hadn't changed Alphys out of her clothes, sans was certain that it meant that Gaster had no clue that Alphys was a Boss Monster. How did he find out, if he hadn't seen the visual evidence?

Because out of everything that sans had told Gaster, that had _not_ been on the list. He knew better than to volunteer it, even like this.

He hadn't told him.

Verbatim.

 _So how did he find out?_ sans wondered. _If not from me, then who? How?_

He didn't know the answer to that, but he was glad that, if the secret had to be spoiled, at least most of its more personal details remained secret.

Gaster watched him sharply. By treating what he'd said about Alphys as fact, sans had actually confirmed it for him. By taking him seriously, sans had been the one to tell him she was one.

It had been a gamble, of course, and he’d honestly expected immediate denial.

But when sans caught glimpse of Alphys's face, it scared him, and he was worried about her – another answered question.

“pulse,” sans murmured, moving his hand away. “it's faint. how many more are you gonna take?”

That was the best part, in Gaster's opinion. He didn't answer, at first, wanting sans to grow curious enough to turn around, to look at him, and it worked.

Once he had, Gaster answered by hand, his grin growing wider with each sign.

_‘Until she has nothing left to give.’_

sans gaped at him for a moment., hoping he'd misheard, but Gaster simply smiled.

“uh, but,” he stammered. “you'll kill her. don't you kinda need her alive?”

_'Only until Papyrus and Undyne return.’_

sans went very still, trying to mask his emotions, but he failed. It was understandable: Gaster had just painted him into a corner, his ultimatum clear.

Bring Undyne and Papyrus back, and Alphys lives. Don't, and she dies, no matter what happens later.

And he couldn't decide; he thought it would be easy to sacrifice Alphys for Undyne and Papyrus.

In fact, he knew that she expected it from him, likely would never forgive him if she found out.

But the idea of letting her die dismayed him. They'd gotten this far – why couldn't Gaster just give them up?

As if answering, the following words suddenly shimmered to life before his eyes, waking him up.

_‘Now, stop wasting my time. If she's alive, then go upstairs and check on the status of the electric repairs.’_

“upstairs?” sans read, bewildered to the point of nausea.

 _‘Yes, you fool,’_ the words replied, Gaster already turning away, again. _‘I need it back up before I’m done. Go.’_

He went.

* * *

“SHE'S OKAY.”

Asgore said it, and Toriel closed her eyes, trying to calm down. She nodded, just as Asgore nuzzled her cheek, and she returned it, exhaling shakily.

“She's alive?” Toriel whispered.

But she heard the answer. “YES. SO THAT MEANS ALPHYS IS, TOO.”

Toriel laughed weakly. “Young man…” she managed. “You're quite like no one else.”

“GOOD. I LIKE BEING ORIGINAL.”

Asgore smiled, just as Toriel opened her eyes, and she felt her heart start to slow down.

What Papyrus said was true: if Undyne was alive, still, then so was Alphys – and vice-versa.

Which meant that Alphys needed to be found, and brought home, right away. Before they were both lost.

“MAY I SPEAK TO YOUR WIFE?” she suddenly heard. She nodded, holding her hand up, and Asgore gave her the phone. When she confirmed it was her, now, he went on.

“I NEED TO GO BACK, RIGHT AWAY,” he insisted, even as they both heard soft murmuring behind him. “BEFORE ALPHYS IS KILLED. I TRULY THINK HE INTENDS TO KILL HER. ESPECIALLY IF HE KNOWS I AM GONE.”

Toriel felt her throat almost close up. “But sans is the only one with the key.”

“IF IT MEANT SAVING ALPHYS, HE WOULD LET THEM IN. HE WOULD RISK IT. LADY TORIEL, I HAVE AN IDEA, ONE I NEED YOU FOR, MOST.”

Toriel blinked, as did Asgore, with shared surprise. “What could I possibly do?” she asked.

“YOU CAN HEAL,” he replied. “IF I GO UP, I'LL MAKE FATHER COME BACK UP TO SEE ME. WHILE I DISTRACT HIM, YOU AND MY BROTHER CAN GO INTO THE TRUE LAB AND RESCUE ALPHYS. I WON'T LET HIM GO ANYWHERE UNTIL I KNOW YOU MADE IT.”

Toriel was quiet. She was angry. It was a very good plan. “And Mettaton?” she asked quietly.

Papyrus paused, then answered. “STAYING BEHIND WITH UNDYNE,” he said. “SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE SURE SHE REMAINS ALIVE, TOO.”

Toriel shivered with fear. “So sans would let me in? How can we tell him this plan?”

“I WILL CALL HIM AFTER THIS,” Papyrus replied calmly. “AND I WILL TELL HIM EVERYTHING. HE'LL RUN DOWN, GET FATHER, AND THEN YOU AND HE CAN BREAK IN AND RESCUE ALPHYS.”

Again, Toriel hated how perfect it was. She had to say it. “Papyrus, what if we cannot come back for you? What if we have to leave you behind?”

It was the question he'd yet to answer, and yet he didn't hesitate. “THEN YOU LEAVE ME BEHIND, AND I'LL FIND ANOTHER WAY BACK."

Toriel felt her eyes fill with tears, and she struggled to remain calm. “Okay,” she agreed. “As soon as you can, go. Send word when you can. Please, try to bring her back before sunrise.”

Papyrus paused. “WHY?”

“We'll catch up when we can. But it has to be before, Papyrus. Can you do this?”

“YES. I AM HONESTLY THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN.”

And it was that that bothered Toriel the most. “I thank you,” she whispered.

“IT IS MY HONOUR,” Papyrus replied.

She believed him.

* * *

Mettaton hadn't wanted to stay behind. He'd wanted to be in Toriel’s place.

But Papyrus had then said the one thing he knew was true, that kept him in place, despite his breaking heart.

“ALPHYS WOULD ONLY TRUST UNDYNE WITH YOU,” was all Papyrus said.

But it was true. Even as Mettaton watched the young skeleton pack a small bag for himself, Mettaton watched over Undyne like a hawk over her nest.

“You're very brave, Papyrus,” Mettaton replied, meaning it.

But Papyrus laughed. “NO. I'M TERRIFIED! I JUST… WANT THIS TO BE DONE.”

Mettaton smiled. “With you? It will be.”

He was right.

* * *

Sans scrambled up the steps, his entire body tense with the effort, but he didn't hesitate. He practically dragged himself back up to the hangar, and when he saw that the power was still off, he grinned.

He hadn't counted on the apathy of Gaster’s workers, he knew now, especially as he broke into a run, the second he made it to the top. But because no one was asking them, nobody was doing a thing to fix the problem.

Maybe this'll work out, after all, he thought, bewildered by such a thing.

Maybe.

* * *

 _Alphy_ …

Undyne fell, the darkness wrapping around her like a blanket, and it weighed her down, making her fall faster.

With a shout, Undyne pushed her arms free, reaching out – just as she went over the falls.

But then, a hand reached out and grabbed hers, and when the blanket fell off, Undyne did not follow it. She gasped, watching it disappear beneath her, then she looked up.

On her knees and shaking with effort, Alphys held Undyne's hand between her own, gritting her teeth and pulling, as hard as she could, in order to bring her back. She wasn't strong – but Undyne was. She grabbed hold of Alphys's arm, her feet pivoting to push up from the waters—

\--only to find her hands empty, and herself in Alphys's place – forced to watch Alphys instead go over the edge.

Undyne screamed, trying to grab her hand, but Alphys's fingers were slick, slippery, and she lost hold.

With a scream, Alphys fell, vanishing into the waters, below.

And upon Undyne’s hand remained all that remained.

Blood.

 _“NO--!”_ Undyne screamed. _“ALPHY--!!”_

Nothing.

She was gone.

* * *

Alphys groaned softly, stirring awake with pained shock. She tried to fall back, to let her mind flatline, again, but the second she realised her eyes were open, she closed them too late.

And she felt a slap wake her with sharp clarity.

Alphys grunted, biting her tongue, but it was all she could do; she was still belted down, and her mouth was dry. She coughed, but even that was too much, and she groaned, tugging on her restraints with a wordless plea.

Instead, all she got was another slap.

She knew why. She knew what he wanted.

But it was so hard… her eyelids were so heavy…

She felt him take hold of her chin, and the pain of his fingerbones digging into her flesh and forcing her eyes open.

Words immediately greeted her, and she cried.

_‘We're not finished, Alphys. Why didn't you tell me you are a Boss Monster? And do not attempt to deny it; sans confirmed it.’_

That hurt.

It also scared her.

She coughed again, trying to at least swallow once, to dislodge her tongue…

Her eyes closed, but instead of slapping her awake, Gaster gave her water. At first, she was scared that it was drugged, and she almost rejected it. But once it touched her parched tongue, she was drinking without control, and she whined, wishing she could break away but knowing it tasted too good to…

When he felt she had enough, he pulled it away, and she whined, again, not finished. Of course that was why he did it, and she bit the inside of her cheek to shut herself up. The sounds she made were barely sounds at all, but she knew he hated them.

The last thing she wanted was another slap...

She opened her eyes, just before he could make her, and he said, _‘You're eager to cooperate. What changed?’_

Alphys snorted, rolling her eyes and looking away. How did he expect her to answer?

Before anything else could happen, however, there was a sound, one that went over the PA system of Deltarune: a brief chime of attention.

Then, sans's voice. “thank you for being patient during this time. the black out is still at stage one; no one knows where it started. power levels are all at minimum, therefore it would be wise to go home; we'll make up the pay.”

Gaster stood up tall, his eyes going to the speaker. Alphys blinked harder – and saw pure murder on her father's face. And she knew why.

 _What the hell is he playing at?_ she wondered.

Gaster, however, had an idea, and he wasn't sure if he liked it. Without pausing, he checked the beaker – then sighed. It was only two thirds full.

 _‘You're proving to be a difficult case,’_ he told her, words she barely saw. _‘Oh well. Too bad for you.'_

Before she could even try to ask, there was a hum of electricity – and she was back in hell.

* * *

Papyrus ran, faster than he ever had, before. He was powered by adrenaline, of course – but mostly by fear.

When Deltarune came into view, that fear became terror – and he ran faster.

He knew he was likely never going to walk out, again, but when he thought of turning back, all he saw was Undyne, crying for Alphys…

 _Enough_ , he vowed.

He crashed into the front doors – and more hell broke loose.

* * *

sans kept watching the screens, making sure they stayed dead, while he blathered on and on.

“again, if anyone has any ideas, please come to the office. otherwise, go on home. we'll figure it out.”

He was doing it on purpose. He knew it was all he really could do, the best he had to offer, especially now that he’d betrayed them. He felt he at least owed Alphys this: a moment of distraction, hopefully enough to piss Gaster off enough to bring him back up.

 _Leave her alone_ , he prayed. _Come get me._

_Before it's too late..._

But all he did was spur his father on – something he learned way too late.

* * *

“Asriel?”

He opened his eyes to darkness, yet he could still make out Chara's face, even across the short distance between their hotel beds. Their eyes were wide, their colour almost bright in the dark, and Asriel found them easily.

“What's wrong?” he murmured. “Have you slept at all?”

Chara hesitated. “No,” they whispered, ashamed of it but unable to help it. “I'm scared.”

Asriel smiled sadly. “Me, too,” he agreed.

“You haven't slept, either.”

Asriel nodded. “Yep.”

Chara smiled, this time, and Asriel's softened. “I feel better, knowing you are, too,” they confessed.

Asriel smiled. He threw his blanket back and opened his arms. “C'mere.”

Chara was standing up by the time he said their name, and with a shy grin, they laid down in his arms, curling up into them.

Asriel smiled and hugged them closed, pulling the blanket back over them both.

“You always need your big brother to watch over you, eh?” he teased.

Chara, however, smiled. “Yes, please. Forever.”

Asriel grinned. “You got it.”

After that, neither had trouble sleeping.

* * *

Now, there was no going back.

For any of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've purposely left Asriel and Chara's relations ambiguous, and this doesn't change that. You can freely place whatever relationship you prefer upon them; that's the point. :)


	58. Sever The Cord

_“Alphy… Alphy…! Alphy!!”_

Mettaton winced, turning back to Undyne with a wet cloth, leaning down and using it to mop the sweat from her forehead and face, taking special care to keep her eye dry, too. She whimpered, one hand reaching up jerkily to stop him, but he easily pushed it back down.

She'd done that - screamed for Alphys - three times since they'd been left alone, and he shuddered to think of what it meant. She screamed it, always, and though her voice got smaller each time, it still sounded the same: painful and terrified.

And he knew it meant that Alphys suffered, too.

 _There has to be a way to break this connection_ , he thought, pushing back Undyne's hand. _If they stay connected this intensely, they'll die._

_Or… is Undyne still alive because Alphys is? Is Undyne keeping Alphys alive…?_

It infuriated him that he didn't know.

He was desperate too, feeling helpless and useless.

He didn't want to be stuck here.

He had a new body; he could use it to dig a new way to the True Lab if they had to!

But then, Undyne stirred, reminding him why he had to stay, and he wished he could cry.

Papyrus had been right: if Alphys had to trust someone with Undyne, it would be with him. She liked Papyrus, but knew Mettaton better, and he could protect Undyne best, too.

He hated it. He wanted to hate Undyne.

But he couldn't.

He could see the love, the devotion upon her face, any time Alphys's nickname escaped her lips, and he knew he couldn't hate someone so devoted to someone he was devoted to, as well.

 _I'll keep her safe,_ he promised Alphys, while looking at Undyne. _But it means you have to come home, Alphys._

_You have to come home to us, Alphys._

_You have to come home, Alphys…_

_Please, Alphys..._

_Please come home…_

* * *

Papyrus walked in and heard sans's voice, and his soul lifted. If sans was in the office, he was easy to find, and he broke into a run.

By then, sans had started repeating himself, too nervous to do anything else. He knew Gaster couldn't leave Alphys, but knew that would no longer matter if Alphys died.

But his guts told him to keep going, and he always trusted his guts.

They'd gotten him _this_ far…

And then, the door opened, and sans went silent with shock – before crying out.

“papyrus? bro? _bro?!”_

And the PA system went dead.

* * *

“what the hell are you doing back here?!” sans cried, hugging onto his little brother with a shocked cry, holding tight, barely able to accept that he was even there…

“I CAME TO RESCUE YOU BOTH,” Papyrus said calmly, hugging sans back with a smile. “QUICKLY, CALL FATHER, TELL HIM I'M BACK--,”

sans looked away shyly. “uh,” he mumbled, realising he'd already blown it. “pretty sure he already knows.”

Papyrus lit up – and sans stared. “what the fuck is going on?!” he demanded.

But Papyrus simply hugged him in reply, so sans hugged back, in silence.

Papyrus did, too, the gravity of this hug weighing them down, and for a heavy moment, they remained, unable to let go.

They knew this might end up being their last hug.

* * *

Gaster sighed.

After managing to fill the beaker – and it took far longer than he liked – he moved to make it into a solution, as with Alphys as she was, now – unconscious – he couldn't test it. He needed her awake for that.

He listened to his son ramble on and wondered what had gotten him. In that confusion, he then did something very, very stupid: he set the solution down, just as he finished sealing it into a jar for a syringe, and left it behind.

His eyes fell on his daughter, before they moved over to the side, to something he'd used, before – but not on her.

Onto what sans had focused on, before.

The tube.

His eyes went back to her.

Before he even knew it, he was already undoing her restraints.

By the time Alphys was within it, sans was nearing the end of his diatribe. He was about to close it, to activate the water, when something caught his eye: red. A small red blotch at one of her sides, on her shirt.

He frowned, unbuttoned her shirt quickly, completely clinical. He tugged it aside – and just as his eyes fell on the reason for the blood, sans said those last three words, and the air went dead.

Gaster went still, his eyes locked on what he was seeing, despite his soul screaming at him to get upstairs, now.

Then, he let go of her shirt, closed the tube, and sealed it.

His fingers flew over the control board upon it, and it rattled to life.

There was the low, vibrant sound of a vacuum. Instead of water flowing into the tube, however, the air reversed; moisture was being drained from Alphys, not given to her.

 _If she cannot drown, then she can suffocate,_ Gaster vowed.

He was right.

He left her behind without a second thought.

He didn't care if she died.

He now had what he needed from her.

Except…

He left it behind.

* * *

Undyne suddenly became feverish, her entire body blazing with too much heat, and her breaths began to catch, becoming raspy and thin.

No matter what Mettaton did, no matter how often he made sure to dampen her hair, her face, her neck and chest, by the time he was done, he had to start over. Getting water into her was just as difficult; she would often choke on it, coughing it up.

She no longer dreamt; instead, she remained in the dark, save the strain it took to breathe.

“Fight for her, Undyne,” Mettaton begged of her, knowing this was because of Alphys, and what was happening to her. “She needs you to stay alive. She _needs_ you, Undyne.”

He kept saying it, over and over, as it seemed like she heard him, almost every time. She would shift, or set her jaw, or bare her teeth, but she _would_ try; she would fight her panicked breathing, try to it keep calm and steady, try to stay ahead of the fever…

“Hurry,” Mettaton whispered, closing his eyes.

He knew she didn't have much longer. 

* * *

Gaster nearly fell down the stairs climbing up them, desperate for the truth, so desperate that he ignored the lack of progress on repairs. He instead grabbed the handle of the door to his office, his eyes already searching…

They found Papyrus, and he cried out silently, his hands going to his son's face. He dropped to his knees, just as Papyrus tried to speak to him, but he couldn't hear, yet.

All he could see was Papyrus, back here, back where he belonged, and he was safe.

sans caught Papyrus's eye, and with a short nod, he grinned. He opened his arms, just as Gaster tried to grab him, and sans hesitated. He didn't want to leave him.

“GO,” Papyrus mouthed – somehow.

Sans winced, his eyes going out, as he was still unsure.

But when Gaster grabbed Papyrus and ignored everything else, Sans knew this was going to be his last chance.

He slipped out behind Gaster, then ran back the way he came.

And Gaster didn't even notice.

* * *

Toriel had vanished beneath the tunnels not long after she and Papyrus hung up.

She’d grabbed her medical kit and slung it over her shoulder, kissed Asgore with some fear, then turned and ran.

The closest was just out of the Palace, and she found it easily, navigating it as if she'd helped built them.

Her heart raced the entire time, her ears straining for any sound, looking for some hint or sound as to where she could find her way. She risked it and took the one closest to her current place, and when she found the sealed door, she called, then knocked on it.

She waited, shaking like a leaf. She hoped Papyrus would make it to sans in time.

She was certain they didn't have long…

* * *

Alphys felt so hot.

She felt like her skin was on fire, or that she was being slowly cooked, and she felt every second of it.

Even when she tried to cry, the pain too harsh to ignore, nothing happened.

She couldn't open her eyes. She couldn't speak.

It felt like her tongue was glued to the top of her mouth.

She had no idea where she was, or what was happening.

All she knew was heat, and pain, and suffering.

She couldn't even pass out…

 _Help_ , was all she could think. _Help me… help…_

But nobody came.

_Until…_

* * *

Sans’s hands shook as he locked the door behind him, thus making sure neither Gaster nor Papyrus were able to come in. It hurt, but he couldn't spare time on it.

He turned away, his eyes blinking to life as he looked for his sister – but he couldn't find her. He _did_ find what Gaster had foolishly left out, and he grabbed both parts of it, his guts telling him to, even as he kept looking for Alphys.

Then, he remembered, and he turned around.

There she was: in the tube.

For a moment, he was relieved: certainly, if she was in there, then she was fine, because all it could do to hurt her was flood, right?

Then, he saw how wrong he was, and with a cry, he lunged forward, his fingers scrambling over the control panel, his eyes flicking to her every once and a while, to make sure she was still solid.

He knew, then. Gaster knew she had gills.

Finally, the tube opened, and with a gush of hot air, sans shoved the panels apart and waved the steam away.

He felt Alphys fall forward, and he caught her.

She felt as light as air.

He fell back, landing hard on the floor, but he ignored the pain. He dragged Alphys free, horrified by how dry she felt, and when the air finally cleared, he saw how badly she fared.

And then he heard Toriel calling.

With a wave of relief, he ran to that seal and let her in. Before she could ask, he brought her over to Alphys, shaking so hard that he stumbled. He tried to speak, to tell her what happened, but nothing came out.

“Is he locked out?” she asked him quickly.

He nodded.

Toriel smiled, then. It was real, and it got his attention. “Okay. Sit down. I'll take it from here, like before, okay?”

It was true; she'd helped him with Undyne, when she'd been tortured the same way. She knew what to do.

Toriel took hold of her dear friend, trying to stay as calm as possible, but her hands shook as she took hold of Alphys, picking her up and carrying her to the nearest cot – a separate one. She laid Alphys upon it, noticing that her shirt was undone and her gills were showing, but she didn't hesitate – she took the shirt off, then Alphys's bra, before she moved to take off the rest.

By the time she had Alphys just in her underpants, Toriel's body had calmed, going into healing autopilot once she realised what she needed to do. She didn't see her half-naked, dying friend, but a patient, one of many before her. She pushed the dried clothes away, the materials feeling like they were overstarched, or salt-logged.

Then, she looked at Alphys.

Her friend breathed, but barely, by now. Her body was limp despite its lightness, and nothing Toriel did got her to react.

By the time Toriel was slowly running a wet cloth over her body, Alphys was close to comatose.

If Toriel had been any later, Alphys would have slipped under and died.

But she didn’t.

* * *

Alphys soon realised that things were changing.

The heat was easing.

The air was clearing.

Even her body felt lighter.

She remembered, then.

She remembered what Gaster had stolen from her.

And she knew that she couldn't leave without it - and why.

Her hands trembled and twitched, going unnoticed for quite some time, even by sans, who sat at the door, leaning against it with his head upon his knees.

By the time Toriel had picked up one of her hands, Alphys was trying to trace figures, using both hands as best as she could.

‘T-o-r-i-e-l?’

Toriel's heart skipped, then raced, and she exhaled a sob, catching sans's attention. “Yes, child,” she called, reaching up and touching Alphys's hot, burnt cheek. “It's me.”

Alphys was so relieved. Her hand grabbed onto Toriel's for a moment, her gratitude obvious, and Toriel brushed a hand over her forehead to calm her.

“It's okay,” she told her. “We're going to get you out of here, okay?”

But it was then that Alphys kept signing.

‘No. Get my sample to U-n-d-y-n-e. Sever connection. Save her. Then come back and get me. O-k-?'

Toriel wanted to pretend she didn't understand, and wondered for a moment if she could get away with it.

But when she felt Alphys try to stop her from hydrating her skin, she knew she couldn't.

“sans,” Toriel called. “Do you want to take that sample to the Lab, or do you want me to?”

sans looked up with confusion. “you want me to do what?”

Toriel saw Alphys's face fall into one of dismay, and again, she tried to sign, but Toriel stopped her gently, and she went still, struggling to stay calm.

“Do you have a good reason for what you did?” Toriel suddenly asked.

sans went still, looking away. “you're here, aren't you?” he answered.

“Do you know the way?” she replied.

“of course.”

“Go,” Toriel concluded, just as Alphys signed more.

‘Tell her. Tell her I… tell her…’

“Shh…” Toriel answered, before calling to sans: “Tell Undyne Alphys is okay, once she's awake, and that Alphys loves her. Keep the door you used unlocked, okay? Until we leave.”

sans took it all in silently, nodding, before he patted his pocket, checking on his precious cargo, before he took off, ready to do just that.

Alphys stared up at Toriel with open gratitude, and in reply, Toriel smiled and kissed her forehead, before going back to work with the cloth and water.

* * *

“FATHER, IT'S OKAY,” Papyrus murmured. "I'M OKAY"

Gaster didn't answer, and not just because he held onto Papyrus. He couldn't answer; he was too choked up.

He hadn't accepted how much he'd almost lost until he had it back.

Now forced to accept it, he wanted to cry.

He certainly didn't want to let go of his son.

“FATHER, I'M SAFE. NOBODY TOOK ME ANYWHERE. I NEVER LEFT.”

Something about that did not ring true for Gaster. He knew something about that was off, was likely untrue, and knew he should question Papyrus about it.

But when he tried, all he thought of was losing him, again, and he couldn't ask.

It didn't matter, if he was back. If he was _here_.

Papyrus was quiet. Thousands of thoughts sped through his mind, his eyes on the dead monitors, the reddish glow of the back-up lights adding a strange, otherworldly glow to everything it touched – including himself.

Was Alphys safe?

Where was sans, now?

Where was Undyne?

_Did I blow my only chance…?_

* * *

The last thing Mettaton ever expected was to hear the sound of the doors open, again – and to hear _sans's_ voice, shouting for Mettaton.

“Up here!” he called, confused, but not enough to turn help away.

At least, he hoped it was help. Undyne was not doing well.

When it was indeed sans who tumbled up the steps and into the small apartment, Mettaton stood up, moving to see if he needed help. He even held his hands out.

sans placed both the solution and the syringe into those hands. Mettaton's hands closed around them, and he looked down.

“What _is_ this?” he asked, afraid of the answer.

“Just give it to Undyne!” Sans cried, his eyes going out with that fear. “I can't! I'm shaking too hard! Please! Alphys said it would save her, it would save them both, by severing the connection!”

That had Mettaton taking better hold, before moving back to Undyne's side, carefully filling the syringe. He sat down, just as it was completely full, and he uncapped it as if he always did.

Sans watched, trembling all over, making it clear that he was still far too unsteady to be of use.

Mettaton moved to inject it, then stopped.

“Are you certain?” he asked, his face almost as scared as Sans felt. “Alphys will be okay?”

“That's what she said,” Sans agreed firmly.

That was all he needed.

Mettaton took hold of Undyne's arm, found a place, and slowly pushed the needle in, before pushing the plunger down, the yellow substance disappearing beneath her skin.

The second the solution hit Undyne's blood, her expression began to change, more and more with increased pressure.

By the time it was empty, Undyne was stirring, a soft moan pulled from her throat.

Something was happening, and Undyne was alone within it.

 _Almost_.

* * *

Undyne found herself in that dark place between dreams and waking, floating in the air as darkness slipped by her, brushing over her skin like a ghostly chill. She smiled; it felt nice. It helped push away the heat, the fire…

Then, she saw a small light in the distance, one bright yellow, a small thread coming from it and stretching over that distance. Halfway through, Undyne saw, it began to change colour, so that by the time she reached its end, it was bright blue.

And the other end disappeared within her chest, her soul glowing bright from within her breast.

Through that thread, she knew it was Alphys. She felt her, and felt her pains as her own.

But at the same time, as she watched, that yellow light – what she knew was Alphys's soul – flared, then burst into pure light, the purity of it brightening that yellow into white.

As it did, that yellow was chased from the thread, so that when the white touched Undyne's soul, she was ready.

She _thought_.

Nothing could have prepared her for what happened, next.


	59. Breaking The Barrier

During the time between, Alphys stopped trying to speak. She couldn't even keep her eyes open. The burst of adrenaline she'd felt when seeing Toriel had been robbed from her in seconds, and she had to stop moving; she was starting to feel sick.

She knew why: heatstroke. She knew that _that_ was what it was, and that she was lucky her skin hadn't been burnt.

At least, she hoped it hadn't; in fairness, it wouldn't of surprised her if it had…

“Alphys?”

Toriel's voice made her stir, but she couldn't move beyond that. She tried to open her eyes, to blink, but they were too heavy. She tried to raise her hands, but that failed, too.

“It's okay,” Toriel said.

Alphys heard her rinse the cloth, then felt it return to her skin, starting with her face, before moving down. The feel of cool water washed over her, made colder by the air around them, and she felt her body respond to it, the water like a healing balm all on its own.

“Alphys, it's okay… it's alright, dear. I don't need you to respond.”

Alphys didn't realise that she was still trying to speak until that moment. She stopped, and alongside Toriel's touches, she allowed her body to relax as best as it could.

“I just need you to listen, okay?”

That she could do.

“Alphys, I’m so sorry this happened. That he captured you. That he took his revenge on you. I never anticipated that, and I should have.”

Alphys thought about that. Of course she blamed no one but Gaster for this, perhaps save maybe herself. None of them could have anticipated what had happened - not even Gaster.

“I know you disagree,” Toriel added, smiling faintly when she noticed Alphys's expression was rather sad. “But it's okay. We're here, now. I'm here.”

Alphys again felt bad. If sans knew what to do and did it, then it meant that Toriel was about to see her undergo what was going to likely be worse.

To sever the connection meant severing _all_ of it; it couldn't be done without doing it to completion. 

In return, it meant that they would no longer be able to sense the other's presence, nor pick up on thoughts and emotions as much, as well as less ease when it came to communication.

But most importantly, it would break _this_ connection: their symbiosis.

They wouldn't feel the other's pain - _and_ pleasure - as her own, anymore.

It was a sacrifice Alphys was willing to make, if it meant that Undyne never suffered, again. She didn't know what it would take, but she knew she could do it, no matter how much she hated it.

She never thought to pause on that, to reflect on _why_ the idea was so loathsome. If she had, then a great deal of what happened next wouldn't of happened, for good _and_ for bad.

That was made clear when, out of nowhere, Alphys jolted, feeling as if she'd been stabbed in the upper arm, and Toriel jumped back, just as startled.

Alphys, however, knew what it meant, and her eyes opened, looking for Toriel quickly, while she still could. Their eyes met – and Alphys went rigid, her breath escaping her as though choked off in mid-inhale. She coughed, reaching up and trying to see if she was being strangled, but her hand didn't respond, and her eyes filled with tears, still choking...

Fire suddenly course through her veins, and with a shocked gasp, she recognised the feeling. Memory floated up, tried to take over and make her panic, but she stomped it down stubbornly, even as she started crying from how awful it felt. She felt one of her hands taken, held firmly between two larger, soft ones, and she tried to focus on that, instead.

It wasn't enough.

The heat suddenly rushed up, from within herself to all over her body, like invisible, scalding waters, and it was too much. Desperate to escape the pain, Alphys felt her mind falling, retreating into the dark, and she let it.

She wanted that, at least.

In reply to that resolution, world went dark.

But it didn't last.

* * *

Alphys found herself where Undyne had: floating in a soothing void, one that she couldn't see through. The thought didn't scare her, thanks to that comfort, but what happened next, did.

From afar, she saw a glint of light.

Confused, her eyes went to it, and she somehow recognised its bright blue colour. She watched it, and slowly, it seemed to melt into another colour: yellow.

Confused, Alphys tilted her head, but all that did was make her _see_ more: what looked like a thread, one she only noticed now, stretching between that light and herself, a thread that ended within her own chest, in her soul. From within, she saw her soul glow, lighting up the space around her, and as she watched, it changed back, from yellow to blue.

The second her soul ceased being yellow, there was a burst of bright white light, and it stretched between them, colouring the thread the same colour.

Alphys tensed, expecting something but without any clue as to what, and waited for it to finish.

It did, and the world as she knew it ended.

Forever.

* * *

Undyne opened her eye to a new world, one bathed entirely in white light, save two exceptions.

Before her was Alphys, floating alongside her. She was naked, and with some detached surprise, Undyne noted she was, too, but she didn't linger on it – especially when their eyes met.

Alphys lit up, her hands going out to take Undyne’s – but they stopped halfway, right in front of them, as if there was a barrier between them.

Alphys frowned, pressing against what felt solid, but nothing changed. It really _was_ a barrier, one that was slipped between them, keeping their souls apart, too.

But between those souls was a small pinpoint of white, one that glittered between yellow and blue.

It connected the two together.

Alphys blinked, then raised her hands to speak – before frowning deeper.

“Try talking aloud,” Undyne urged. She hated not being able to touch Alphys. She _needed_ to touch her, to be touched…

Alphys did – and got it. “That's the connection,” she whispered, pointing to the small dot of light. “If we sever it, then the barrier will be healed, and our separation will be complete. We won't feel each other's pain, anymore.”

Left unsaid was the word _pleasure_ , but Undyne still heard it. _She_ frowned, this time, and pressed her palms forward, feeling the wall in the air. She leaned against it, pushing down on it with all of her weight, so hard her arms shook and strained, but…

Nothing. Not even a slight give.

“Do we want to sever this?” Undyne asked. She didn't know where the question came from, but there it was – and she didn't regret asking it once she had.

Alphys paused, confused by that. “Don't we?” she returned. “Isn't it what's causing us both to suffer like this? Wouldn't it be better to?”

“But we're not _truly_ connected,” Undyne protested, knocking on the barrier as emphasis. “If we were, why would this be here, still? Would there even be a wall? Why do we want to fix a wall that keeps us apart?"

Alphys opened her mouth, then closed it. She didn't know. She couldn't answer any of those questions. She was simply trying to fix the problem as she saw it, and had no other ideas to fall back on.

But now, Undyne did. Her eye sparked, suddenly, and she moved her palm, pressing it against Alphys's, and she bit her lip when she realised she couldn't feel it – not even its warmth.

“What if we break it, but _open_?” Undyne asked. “What if we break down this barrier completely?”

Alphys paled. “It adds the risk of our souls merging,” she answered shakily. "And without the ability to separate them, again, after. It would be permanent."

Undyne thought about that. She didn't know as much about souls as Alphys did, but she was still a monster. She knew using one's soul, whether for magic or otherwise, was always dangerous. Merging two or more souls together was possible, but breaking them apart, after, was impossible.

If anyone did – and most did not – the people involved would be linked empathetically for life.

 _And what_ would _that do?_ Alphys was also wondering. _It would be like_ this _, certainly, but what else?_

Emotions, pains, pleasures, thoughts… All were left open, readable, and impossible to hide from the other. Some things required a degree of power over the other – reading thoughts that were deemed private was a huge red flag for most – that bordered on violation, and if done with the wrong person, there was the potential to lose free will and control forever.

But that was also the point. It was about _trust_.

Monsters that did it at all usually did so on their wedding night, or the day they chose to mark a shared special occasion, as a sign of ultimate trust. It was why most wedding vows included the words “keep their soul safe within your hands”.

Alphys looked up at Undyne, then.

Undyne looked back, lighting up a little with hope, and Alphys understood: _she_ didn't care. She _wanted_ that. _She_ had nothing to fear, nothing to hide, and trusted Alphys with everything she was.

Alphys trusted Undyne, too. But she knew feelings could change. She knew people changed as they grew.

If Undyne eventually tired of Alphys, where did that leave them?

Connected forever and miserable.

“If we do that,” she whispered, “then we'll both still feel the other's pains, and even more intensely than we do, already. We will suffer together, over everything."

“Yeah,” Undyne agreed, smiling. She started blushing. “I… I don't care, Alphy. I… I just wanna be with you, forever.”

Alphys felt her eyes fill with tears. “That's all I want, too,” she croaked out.

“Then what are you thinking?!” Undyne demanded with a laugh – a genuine laugh. “Let's break this wall, not this connection!”

Alphys slowly felt herself responding to this, and she found nothing but optimism and hope.

 _What then?_ she pondered, taking a deep breath. _What then, indeed?_

_Let's find out._

“Okay,” she agreed.

Undyne grinned, her wild, feral smile, and she pushed harder against the air. “How do we do it?”

Alphys bit her lip, then blinked. “I don't know,” she realised. “Maybe we touch them? Maybe we--?”

She went silent, then, because Undyne had done something purely by accident – but also perfectly: one of her hands had moved toward her own soul, and she as well as Alphys had expected the wall to close them off there, too. Instead, near both souls, Undyne's hand suddenly slipped through empty air – before landing upon Alphys's soul.

It sent Alphys reeling, her eyes wide but her mouth pressed closed. She had been pale, but now, she flushed bright red, and without control, she groaned.

Undyne jerked her hand back right away, just as she heard that sound, and she looked back at Alphys – and blinked hard, several times, making sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing.

Alphys looked ready to _pounce_ on Undyne, her eyes blazing.

The reason for that was easy: by touching her soul while feeling what she was feeling, Undyne had transferred all of it to Alphys. Since she felt those things with the purity of her heart and soul, and it came from deep love, her touch had been _very_ pleasurable.

And suddenly, just like that, they knew _how_.

Their eyes met.

“Are you certain?” Alphys asked, terrified of the answer, despite how good she felt.

Undyne nodded right away, smiling brightly.

Alphys nodded in return, before Undyne could ask.

Without breaking eye-contact, they moved their left hands toward the hole in the barrier, the space just barely wide enough to do so, and as one, they took hold of the other's soul.

Both gasped that time, for a moment thrown into space and time.

A soul is made of pure magic, one so pure that it gave life; to hold one was to hold power – the power of another, over another. By touching the other's soul, both had sent the other into a daze of bliss, their past pains suddenly easy to ignore.

Then, as if they'd practised doing it, they began to nudge the souls together. It wasn't easy – working with another's soul was like herding a cranky sheep – but still, it worked.

The second their souls finally touched, that world ended, too.

* * *

_Green_.

Alphys opened her eyes and was greeted by that thought, alone: _green_.

And how could she not? The world she was coming to was made of green, of greens, the myriad shades of it surprising her, showing her hues that she'd never even known existed.

When she could focus, Alphys raised her head – and found herself in a familiar place: the abyss.

Only, now... it was  _green_.

The tiles were white-green, the waters ranging from dark, almost black-green – the pathway – to bright, neon green – the waterfall's mist...

 _Green_.

She sat up, raising a hand to the water, and when she pulled it back, the drops within her palm were clear, with just a small hint of green to it. She let it drip, and it was like watching droplets of peridot fall into a mirror of emerald, below.

She frowned, looking around desperately for Undyne, but she couldn't see her.

Instead, she heard the first of a handful of musical notes greet her, coming up from the waters that circled her and bouncing off the earthy walls above her. Her body shivered in reply, and she found herself singing back, her heart racing.

And just like that, right in front of her, the waters broke – and Undyne rose up from beneath, emeralds and peridots and jades dripping from her body…

One barely dressed in a rich, blue-green underpants and bra, one that seemed made of the most beautiful of seafoam, frothing over her most private parts with an intimacy Alphys envied…

Undyne closed the distance right away, dropping down to her knees once on the tiles, and Alphys couldn't keep her eyes away, her fingers reaching up – first to speak, then to try and undress herself – as Undyne smiled at her.

“I was gonna do this,” Undyne said, taking hold of Alphys's hands. “That day. The day they got me. I was gonna sing, then come up and do this.”

Alphys's eyes filled with tears. “I'm sorry,” she whispered, happy that her voice still worked. “I would have loved that.”

Undyne's eye sparked. “Oh yeah? Prove it.”

Alphys blinked. “Prove…?”

Undyne grabbed her face and kissed her lips, and Alphys immediately relaxed, returning it with happy understanding.

This time, when Alphys tried to undress, Undyne helped her, but when Alphys moved to remove Undyne's suit, her hands were pushed away.

By the time Alphys was only wearing her underwear, she was frustrated. She refused to let Undyne take them off – not until Undyne took hers off, first.

It made her laugh, then kiss Alphys all over, making her smile shyly, then giggle with a blush. Her face softened, then, and she raised it, just as Undyne lowered her own.

They kissed again, a simple connection in its own right, but one surpassed by no other.

They thought.

They had no idea that this was simply the beginning.

* * *

“FATHER.”

Gaster's eyes opened, and he blinked them hard, needing to clear them. He could tell that Papyrus was growing uncomfortable – he _was_ holding onto him to tight – but Gaster couldn't control it.

Instead, behind him, his second set of hands spoke for him.

 _‘ Where have you been?!’_ his words demanded, and Papyrus flinched. _‘Do you know what caused the black-out? Why could no one find you?’_

Papyrus hesitated, just a second, before he answered. “FATHER, THE POWER-OUT IS MY FAULT.”

Gaster's eyes widened, before he moved away, holding Papyrus by the shoulders, to keep him close.

Papyrus nodded when their eyes met, and since he never lied to Gaster, Gaster believed him.

 _‘What happened?’_ he asked gently, smiling kindly. He knew he was still shaking, but he tried to hide it.

He failed; Papyrus knew. He could feel it. And despite himself, he began to feel guilty, just a little.

He didn't change his mind, however. “I WAS MESSING AROUND,” he confessed. “I SNUCK OUT WHEN SANS LEFT, AND I BROUGHT MY SOCCER BALL. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED!”

At least that was true.

Gaster took it calmly, however, and it made Papyrus… almost _angry_. He knew that his father would have beat the breath out of sans if _he'd_ done that, and he knew he was starting hypocrisy right in the face.

But right now, he didn't - _couldn't_ \- care. He knew what doing nothing would give him, and he didn't want it. He took advantage of it – of _Gaster_ – and used that anger to banish his guilt over lying.

“FATHER, IF I SHOWED YOU, WOULD THAT HELP?” Papyrus added. He knew what sans had done, after all, and knew where he'd done it; if the power came on while Gaster was with him, then there was still time before he got back to the monitors.

And judging from what sans had told him about how he'd destroyed the power, the repairs wouldn't be up for a while – especially now that the staff had been dismissed.

Perhaps it was just as well. Gaster couldn't trust anyone to be honest if he couldn't watch them, after all.

Gaster nodded, and Papyrus smiled up at him. “LET'S GO!” he decided.

And in less than a minute, they went.


	60. Total Eclipse (NSFW)

Alphys reached up, her palms going to Undyne's cheeks, and she pulled back, her eyes open and wide. Undyne pouted a little, but it was with a smile, and Alphys relaxed, needing to say something, now.

Speaking was still strange, no matter how often she'd already done it underwater. Years and years of disuse had rendered it soft, almost monotone, as she was still mostly unused to giving it a tone.

And yet, no matter how flat it sounded, how alien it felt for Alphys to hear it outside of her own head, Undyne always lit up whenever it happened. Always.

“Undyne,” she murmured. “I want to… I want… I would... I'd like it if..."

But then, Undyne placed her hand over Alphys's mouth. She was bright red, but she nodded, her eye sparking as she did. She clearly knew, and wanted the same.

Alphys gazed up at her, her adoration rather obvious, and Undyne felt her heart skip.

She wasn't scared.

She had no idea what this would lead to or how it would affect them, but she still wasn't scared.

It was impossible to be while with the one she loved...

_Undyne..._

So instead of trying to word it, and with a shy smile, Alphys moved one hand between them – and Undyne grabbed it and placed it between her breasts, over her heart. Granted, her lingerie made it rather... _cushioned_ , but Alphys could still feel that gentle beat, and it calmed her further.

When she felt Undyne press her own hand between Alphys's breasts, she helped, making sure Undyne's palm covered above her heart, and not just breast.

Then, as one, they mentally reached out – and touched souls.

One simple touch ended their lives as they knew it.

Forever.

* * *

_They both cried out, shocked; just when both had figured that they were at the limits of pleasure, they found an entirely new place to explore._

_Undyne shifted closer, and Alphys did, too._

_Then, they were within the other's soul._

_Colours danced before and between them, like guided smoke, curling around them both in the colours of their magic._

_As_ _they watched, something new happened: those colours mingled, swirling around each other like a helix, until suddenly…_

 _…_ green _._

_That was new._

_And both knew why._

Hi _, Alphys suddenly murmured._

_The green and yellow ribbons reacted, making the simple word glitter between them, become something else altogether…_

Hi _, Undyne replied, happiness accompanying it._

_But like Alphys, when she spoke, their magicks met and became green, like the blues and yellows already innate._

What does it mean? _Alphys wondered._

_She had an idea, but didn't want to mention it in fear of sounding foolish._

_But she forgot that they shared minds, now, and that also entailed thoughts and emotions. These were things she_ couldn't _hide from Undyne, not while like this, and it shamed her._

What if I think something horrible? First thoughts, first impressions, snap assumptions, _anything_ can end up sounding cruel, can be the opposite of truth, can—

Stop.

_The command was simple, but it came with gentleness as well as firmness._

_Alphys was still trying to cover her shame up when she felt Undyne touch her cheek with her other hand, tapping it lightly._

If you wanna do this with me _, Undyne murmured,_ then you gotta be okay with _all_ of it.

_And after she “said” this, she opened her own thoughts – and didn't bother to even try and censor them._

_In return, Alphys was stunned by the thoughts that came to her._

_She knew Undyne had no control, knew they were as random and helpful as any thoughts would normally be, but that wasn't the point._

_The point was that Undyne trusted Alphys, without_ any _hesitation, no matter how embarrassing or benign those thoughts ended up being._

_She didn't care; not anymore._

_Not now._

_To repeat those thoughts, however, seems rather mean-spirited, as what they said meant little. But Alphys knew what was meant behind the words, and she didn't really care about them. She knew how and where they came from and into Undyne's mind, and knew she couldn't control it any more than Alphys._

_And that was the point._

Oh _, Alphys muttered, embarrassed._

_She could tell, even as she tried to keep censoring herself, that Undyne not only heard them, anyway - as well as any attempt at covering them up - and didn't care about that, either._

_Undyne was affectionate, however._

It's okay. It's good that we're doing this, before we go on, so we know what to expect, right?

This would likely be what it could entail, _Alphys agreed._ The closest we can get without just doing it, of course.

And? _Undyne pressed_. Do you think you can do it?

 _She knew_ she _could. She felt like she'd been waiting for this moment; that every song, every word and note exchanged, was spent preparing for_ this _song, this concert._

 _It felt good –_ right _– and now that they were this close, she didn't want to stop._

 _But she also wanted to be certain that_ Alphys _wanted this, too._

I do _._

_The answer came to Alphys clearly, as if a natural thought, and it amazed her._

_She did? She wanted this?_

_She wanted a life without privacy, without solitude, without truly ever being alone, again?_

_Could she, in her perpetually lonesome life, be able to_ accept _such a thing, let alone actually_ do _it?_

I want to, _she realised._ It's all I want, now.

_She hadn't realised that she'd said it aloud until Undyne responded._

Me, too, _was all she said._

_But with those two words came wave upon wave of support, of gratitude and hope._

_And above all, excitement._

_And with it, Alphys pulled her hands back from Undyne, pulling her mind from that pocket, and Undyne followed her, hesitating a bit._

_T_ _heir souls, however, remained connected, and thus their minds now were, too; coming back to their bodies was thus rather... disorienting..._

It made them both wince, then gasp for breath, once they found themselves back in-between, but when their eyes met, again, they saw the unchanged answer with the other's gaze, and they relaxed at once - as one.

Nothing would change their minds, now.

In that confident silence, they kissed, both moving forward without a word or sound of protest. If anything, to wait had been too long for them both, and this kiss was a welcome and overdue treat.

Their hands moved, and both laughed, a muffled sound: their fingers had landed on the same place upon the other, and it amused them.

“We're not even _there_ , yet,” Alphys whispered, the feel of Undyne's gills beneath her fingers making her shiver.

Undyne kissed her in reply, a hungry gesture that was accompanied by a pleased growl, and Alphys laughed, tickled by it – and then, by Undyne, whose own fingers found her gills just as easily.

“Why?” Alphys hissed out.

Undyne rolled her eye and pulled back, but her fingers kept moving. “I dunno,” she confessed. “Kiss me.”

Alphys giggled and leaned back, and Undyne whined a little. “I mean, why… why does it already feel so…?”

She didn't finish; her eyes fluttered closed, and she sat up on her knees, biting her lip hard enough to keep her as quiet as possible – but of course she failed. She moaned, anyway, even when she tried to cover her mouth, but Undyne's ears caught it – and in turn, she shifted closer and changed the rhythm of her fingers. Alphys swayed, her forehead falling onto Undyne's shoulder, and she breathed fast and shakily, her hands suddenly stopping. She tried to move them, but they shook too hard – especially when Undyne didn't stop.

Alphys didn't understand, though. Her question wasn't about their gills, but why Undyne _still_ wanted to do this, and with her.

But that was the point: Undyne knew that. It was what made her so eager.

Once this ended, nothing could be hidden, anymore. So in reply, she made sure her own thoughts were clear – and she felt Alphys still, her body rigid beneath her hands, swamped within her own doubts, now.

Undyne leaned down and pressed her cheek against Alphys's red one, stopping her hands and moving one up to her other cheek, to hold her on both sides. Alphys smiled once she felt that, unable to hold back.

The longer Undyne petted her, the easier it became for Alphys to believe that what Undyne felt _was_ real.

Soon, she did.

It took time, but it worked: Undyne's now-forever shared thoughts made her unable to keep protesting, as those thoughts made a liar out of her.

She wasn't ugly, because Undyne found her beautiful.

She wasn't too fat, because Undyne loved how soft and tender she was.

She wasn't annoying, because Undyne hung onto her every word.

Undyne loved her.

And she loved Undyne.

Their eyes opened as one, and met.

Undyne smiled, her face reddening with happiness, and Alphys blushed in awe of such a thing, shocked that she could invoke such a thing in so wonderful a monster.

“I feel the same,” Undyne whispered. "That same awe. About you, for me."

Alphys bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears, as then, she knew it was true. She stared at Undyne, seeing that as so clearly true that it would be insulting to claim otherwise.

So, instead of talking, Alphys sang.

Now, she knew that while her own hearing had been too weak to pick up on it, Undyne had heard music underwater because of the damage done, and where she attempted to sing. Combined with the bond they shared, the ancient magic within the water and the walls, and their own unique magicks, it was now easy to understand how Undyne hard heard her.

And because this was paradise and not reality, Alphys heard her voice as Undyne would have beneath them, and heard that what she sang was true.

_~I'm tired of being alone… I can’t see myself with anyone else but you…~_

Undyne's eye filled with tears, but her smile was bright. Her ears flicked forward, just as Alphys's tail began to sway, and Undyne chuckled at the sight, making Alphys shiver.

 _~Let me show you…~_ Undyne sang back, nuzzling Alphys's other cheek with her own. _~Let me show you how much you please me, just by being who you truly are…~_

By the time she was done, Alphys had cupped Undyne's palms around her breasts, her cheeks burning. Their eyes met, and they shared a happy smile, one full of anticipation, too.

Undyne moved closer, so that she could move her hands to Alphys's back, but when that happened, Alphys froze, going still and pale. Undyne found the hooks and made quick work of them, but instead of lifting her arms, Alphys kept her elbows pressed into her sides, frowning.

 _~I'm scared…~_ Alphys confessed, her own eyes full of tears, now.

Undyne, however, smiled at her, touching her palms to Alphys's cheeks, trying to rub some colour into them.

Alphys closed her eyes, and she felt Undyne brush her tears away, too.

 _~Trust me…~_ Undyne pleaded, her heart aching as well as racing.

Alphys looked up at her, and their eyes met yet again.

Both searched the other's gaze for a moment, before Alphys began to smile – and she raised her arms up.

For several frantic moments, both helped the other pull their underclothes off.

Alphys’s fingers lingered along the lines that Undyne's beautiful lingerie was made of, and Undyne smiled shyly and with pleased bliss, happy that Alphys liked them, too – even as she worked hard to take them off.

Soon, they forgot about clothes, the second neither wore a stitch of it.

Undyne was panting, her hands trembling as they moved over Alphys's body, one that flushed red and grew hot beneath that touch…

“Please,” Alphys whispered, barely able to whisper it. They both were on their knees, holding each other tight, and her face was buried in Undyne's shoulder. “Please, Undyne…”

Undyne groaned, the sound of Alphys's voice sending a stab of red-hot need into her, and without another word, she captured Alphys's lips with her own – and rolled them both over, so that they crashed into the waters beside – and below – the tiles. They kissed, and they breathed in the waters, and slowly, in minutes, they had sunk to the bottom, their legs already entwined.

Once they hit the bottom, it was Undyne who pinned Alphys to the sandy floor of the abyss, something that simply made Alphys grunt and slide the tip of her tongue over Undyne's sharp, pointed teeth, shuddering with need. Her hands slid into Undyne's hair, just as Undyne reached between them and touched them both, so that their most intimate of flesh could touch, and their clits met.

And once that happened, Undyne pinned Alphys harder beneath her – and started to _move_ , shifting her hips down and against Alphys's, as she moved her own up, to increase that pressure – and this pleasure.

Alphys's breath caught, just as Undyne's tongue met her own, the feeling making her shudder again – and her body insist on increasing the pace. Undyne growled in reply, her eye squeezing close briefly, before she not only met her pace, but increased it, rubbing herself down harder against Alphys - and loving it.

Alphys's mind swam, likely literally, now, knowing only Undyne: the taste of her lips accented by the healing pleasure of the water; water that kept sluicing through their gills in order to increase their bodies' healing... 

Alphys realised she was able to feel Undyne throughout her entire body – and in turn, felt herself within Undyne's, seeing through her eye as well as feeling her body against her own.

And Undyne was experiencing the same reverse-vision, able to see both herself and Alphys, and she barely recognised herself through Alphys's eyes. When she got the same confusion from Alphys, for the same reasons, she giggled, the sound muffled by Alphys's lips – and she heard Alphys giggle in return.

But none of it stopped her, nor did it stop Alphys; if anything, the longer they were able to spend getting used to it, the better it felt.

The more walls that came down, the more incredible that feeling… for  _everything_.

 _This_ was true connection.

 _This_ was knowing what your other felt, without a doubt, and knew they knew your own feelings just as well, and that only made that love stronger.

Alphys was the first to notice, and she sobbed, breaking their deep kiss to try and mask it, but it was too late: nothing could be hidden, anymore.

That was the entire point.

 _It can't be true,_ she reasoned.

But Undyne was already reassuring her. She had already captured Alphys's face between her hands, and had held it still as she searched Alphys’s gaze.

Then, Undyne smiled, and her eye _shone_.

 _It's true,_ she whispered back, in that same special, silent way – a way she wanted to get used to, and soon would never know a world without it.

Alphys closed her eyes, moving her head up and pressing her forehead to Undyne's, just as Undyne leaned hers down – and took hold of Alphys’s shoulders, instead. Her eyes snapped open, but too late: she was already pinned back down into the sand once she was able to focus, and she squeaked.

Undyne’s eye shone brighter, and she quickly found out why, as she began to feel the very same thing: impending pleasure, coming up as hard and as fast as they moved their bodies…

…and yet, just as it was about to drown them both, that world slowed down, their bodies slowed down, and everything became strangely clear and almost painfully bright, the seconds burnt to their brains like minutes, the minutes akin to hours…

…and then, with a shared gasp, their hands and legs grabbing, squeezing, holding onto the other, the wait agony, both too slow to recognise, but too fast to linger upon...

In that space between, there was one last moment, one last exchange, before the last barrier had shattered and gone over the abyss, alongside the floating gemstones that still showered over them from above...

...their eyes met, and in that moment, they spoke.

 _Are you certain, Alphy?_ Undyne asked, in a voice only Alphys knew – one only Alphys could ever know.

 _Yes_ , Alphys answered, in her equivalent voice. She smiled. _Since before I even met you, I've been certain._

 _Hell yeah_ , Undyne replied happily, her eye gleaming.

And then, fast as a blink, time started up, again – and that barely-held back pleasure crashed into both, breaking down any and every wall left between them.

Neither had felt anything like it, in all of the years that they'd ever lived.

It was better than any song, better even than their first _real_ time together, and both knew why: because this was as close as one could get to touching – _knowing_ – pure, true, love.

Because that was what it was: _true love._

Soulmates.

And at last, after they had finally met and had successfully merged...

Now, the world would finally start to make sense, as the world would finally be what it had meant to always be from the start: for them.

If not them, alone, then at least them, in part.

But always them.

Always.

And that delicious bliss spread through their bodies, sweeping through their souls and connecting them permanently together.

Beneath the waters of their personal abyss, their souls forever became the other's.

And then, just as those waves of pleasure began to fade, the world within the waves, the one they'd created, began to darken, then fade...

Until...

* * *

Normally, both would have been terrified, unsure of what would happen if either tried to sleep. But now, as connected as they now were, such a thing was needless to check.

They already knew that this parting was not permanent, because there was no such thing, anymore.

Therefore, when they both opened their eyes at the same time, even before either woman knew where she even was, they felt the other with - and within - herself.

And it didn't take _any_ energy to try and reach the other, nor to keep connected, because they didn't need to.

Finding the other was as easy as focusing the mind.

So when they opened their eyes, both did the exact same thing, despite being in different places.

 _They smiled_.

Because it had worked: their souls had merged, and now, there was no going back.

And that simply made that shared smile grow even wider.

Now, neither would ever be lonely, again.

**END OF PART FIVE**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mweh heheheheh
> 
> There will be a brief hiatus on this fic; I have several others (Exposé, Some Like It Hot, The Space Between, and The Determined Prince) want to finish before coming back. But this fic is not dead. Nope!


	61. True Disaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! I admit, while I didn't finish ALL of the projects on tap before returning to this one, but I couldn't just leave it for so long. Yesterday, I was attacked by a plotbunny, and I ended up writing two and a half chapters. Go figure. Anyway, here we are!

** PART SIX: ARE YOU READY TO CHANGE EVERYTHING? **

Undyne opened her eye.

At first, she didn't understand what was before her, what she was truly seeing, because her entire being was still deep in her mind, with Alphys holding her as the last barriers dissolved between them; reality was pale in comparison. She could feel herself smiling, knew it to be wide and real, but she couldn't stop it. She knew it was likely very inappropriate, but she still couldn't stop.

Which was probably understandable, considering what it was that was truly before – _above_ – her. She saw a momentarily unfamiliar face and narrowed her eye, the light surrounding it almost too bright to behold, before she suddenly felt a small jolt to her belly once his eyes met her own.

She blinked hard, but the feeling remained, even as he searched her face closely.

At that moment, she felt the very first _twinge_ , right at the base of her spine, and it almost made her smile fade. It hurt, like a tearing ache, and her eye squinted against it, her hands clenching in response.

It then faded almost as quickly as it set in, but it wasn't gone.

Not yet.

“Y-you…?” she rasped out, her voice sounding like rumpled paper, and just as fragile. “Wh-where…?”

Mettaton was speechless for a moment, stunned. Undyne was still smiling, albeit softer, and when he managed to get a closer look, he saw that her eye was… _strange_.

He blinked harder, and he jumped, finally seeing why.

_Its colour had changed._

She closed it for a moment, the bright, artificial lights making it water, before she opened it just a slit, swallowing hard.

“Water…?” she begged, now unable to think of anything else.

Mettaton jolted, calling for sans and scrambling up from the floor and to the kitchen, and she closed her eye to it.

She listened to him pump the water, but as she did, she breathed in deeply – and concentrated, hard.

And was immediately rewarded.

* * *

Toriel was shaking, unable to stop, throughout the entire ordeal.

Alphys, the second the connection had begun to fray, nearly flatlined, her vitals dropping so low so quickly that Toriel cried out with fear. By then, she was afraid, certain that, no matter what happened, it was probably too late to sever it, and the connection had begun to kill Alphys, the damage done.

Toriel had no way of knowing that _that_ had happened _because_  Alphys had started to disconnect it. She simply went into autopilot, fueled by shock, and nursed Alphys as best as she could, making sure her fever was under control, she drank, and she didn't hurt herself when she jerked or – sadly, near the end – seized.

When _that_ happened, Toriel panicked. She grabbed Alphys by her sweaty shoulders and cried out, “Stop, Alphys! _Stop!_ Come back, forget it! _Please, just come back!!”_

But she didn't.

Alphys heard none of it.

She was too far gone, too determined to sever a connection she didn't yet know she still needed.

 _Until_ …

Something changed.

Alphys suddenly jerked, then sounded like she was choking.

Toriel went cold, unable to move, as she watched her friend arch up and scream, her hands clawed and jerking, before she dropped back down onto the cot and didn't move, panting desperately for air that she couldn't seem to get enough of.

Toriel moved closer, then, and before her eyes, even as she sobbed without feeling the tears drop upon her own hands, Alphys's condition began to improve.

No, it began to _reverse_ , like she was being restored, like it had never even happened…

Toriel sat up, then went to grab a glass of water, just as Alphys hissed out a gasp, then twitched upon the cot, coughing weakly.

And _that_ was when she smiled – and didn't stop smiling – even as she came to, and to a world of agony.

Toriel's heart was in her throat when Alphys managed to open her eyes, just a little, and try to see. Immediately, the Queen got into her face, as close as was politely possible, and Alphys was able to focus, her smile not fading even a little. Her eyes filled with tears, obscuring their colour for a moment, so when Toriel hugged Alphys, she didn't see their change.

She didn't care, yet.

Instead, she held Alphys against her like she would one of her own children, slowly rocking her and murmuring soothing words of comforting nonsense to her, stroking her head and spines and keeping her both warm and cool.

Alphys closed her eyes and melted into it, forgetting she was almost naked, reeked of sweat and pain and fear, and all while in the arms of her Queen.

All Alphys truly cared about now was that she was awake.

Now, she knew: if _she_ was awake, it most certainly meant that _Undyne_ was, now, too.

So she sighed deeply, kept her eyes closed, and reached inward, looking for confirmation, just to be certain…

* * *

_And there they were, together, almost holding hands, in their nest of green light._

_Their eyes met, for the first time since they'd broke the connection – and the shock had them both grabbing at the other's cheeks, to pull them closer._

“Green,” _they both whispered._

_Their eyes were green._

_For both of them._

Alphys!

Alphys--!!

_She stirred, turning back…_

* * *

…and her eyes squinted against the light directly above her, making her wince and her smile twitch.

_She's still here._

_She's still with me._

_Always,_ Undyne's voice whispered in reply.

Alphys shivered, her smile growing sly and her eyes growing heavy-lidded and dark. She felt warm and soft material beneath her cheek, and she knew it was Toriel's chest. Gratefully, she tried to move her hands up, to at least touch her, but they remained in place. She tried to move back, to meet her gaze, but Toriel held onto her tighter, so she stayed put.

“Alphys,” she heard again, realising that Toriel's voice was the one that had called her back. “Can you hear me?”

She tried to nod, and it worked.

Toriel relaxed, closing her eyes and lowering her head to Alphys's for a moment, the relief so immense that she shifted from foot-to-foot to stay standing.

“Did it work? Did you sever it?” Toriel then asked, making her voice as gentle and as soothing as possible, aware of how devastating it had likely been.

But instead of nodding again, like she expected, Alphys snorted softly, then hissed out a held gasp, before her body began to shake.

At first, Toriel though that it was with tears, but when she leaned down to look closer, she was wrong.

Alphys was _laughing_.

* * *

By the time sans made it back upstairs - he'd been at the control panel, trying to hack into Deltarune's security cameras, to no success – Undyne had finished two glasses of water and was asking for a third.

She was sitting up, leaning against the wall and breathing slowly between drinks, and she was smiling, despite the fact that she looked like hell. She was pale, shaky, and her eyes were underscored with dark bruises. Every few minutes, she would make a face and reach back, feeling another twinge near her tailbone, and scratch a little; it was the only thing that gave her relief, and it was brief.

But when she raised her eye and met sans's glance, he blinked hard and stepped back, shocked.

“I feel the same way,” Mettaton confessed, once he noticed what sans was reacting to.

Undyne looked up at them, then, her eye losing its distracted look, and it darted between them, growing wider the longer she got used to the lighting. She said nothing, however; instead, she waited for more, occasionally breaking the moment by scratching.

By the fourth scratch-fit, however, she had more of their attention, and sans got over his shock, first.

“undyne, are you okay?” he asked gently, going over to her side. “did it work? how do you feel, with alphys's dt?”

Undyne's eye flared, and she jolted, dropping the cup to the floor and splashing their feet.

“How do I feel with _what?!”_ she cried, her hands beginning to shake.

Mettaton flinched, kneeling before her and holding out a hand, but she didn't take it. Instead, she held her hands to her chest, trying to stop – or hide – their shaking. He then glanced at sans, who was still staring at Undyne.

“undyne,” he repeated slowly, and her alien eye went between his own. The colour once again disarmed him, and he lost his voice for a moment. Before she could shout again, he found the rest of that sentence. “what happened?”

“Alphy,” she whispered, pressing her right palm over her racing heart, both her answer – and her plea.

* * *

Alphys focused on her hands, and slowly, she managed to get feeling back into them. Once she had, she raised one and poked Toriel's arm, getting her attention.

Toriel looked down, and Alphys raised that hand, slowly spelling out, ‘Did it work?’ with a weak smile.

“You tell me,” Toriel whispered, smiling in return, though hers was weaker. "What happened, dear?"

She began to answer, but she then heard Undyne call for her. She didn't know how – she didn't hear it using her ears – but she heard Undyne's voice inside of her head, almost as if she had. She blinked hard, then closed her eyes, reaching deep—

_\--and Undyne was still there, waiting for her, in that beautiful emerald nest. She looked scared, and Alphys was quick to touch her and calm her, reassuring her that she was there, too._

It _had_ worked.

Alphys then choked out a laugh, one that gusted out of her as though squeezed, and she expected not to hear it.

But she did.

And so did Toriel.

* * *

Undyne reopened her eye, and she looked calmed, her body's posture slowly starting to relax. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly, before she looked back up at sans.

“Explain to me how this miracle is possible,” she demanded hoarsely. She shivered, grabbing the blanket that had covered her, and she threw it back over her shoulders, huddling beneath it as she spoke. “How are Alphy and me connected like this? I know we merged souls--,”

Both sans and Mettaton hadn't, and they both jumped with shock, but she ignored it.

“—but I don't know _how_ it happened,” she continued, closing her eye for a moment. “And what are we going to do, now that we have?”

Mettaton and sans exchanged looks, worrying her further, and she swallowed a lump of fear, dislodging it from her throat.

She had to trust them. She had no choice.

Was it a mistake?

But then, sans nodded, and he turned back to Undyne.

He held out his hand, and she took it, shaking harder, now. She stared into his eyes, searching for answers – and once she was calm enough, he began to explain.

* * *

Alphys stopped laughing the second she heard herself begin, and Toriel was so shocked that she grabbed hold of Alphys's shoulders, pushing her back from herself, in order to look into her eyes.

And she was immediately reminded of the change within Alphys's.

Instead of her usual opal-white, her irises glittering like prisms, they were now darker, similar in depth but of a very light green hue. They still shimmered, but with _green_ rainbows, and their beauty once again stunned Toriel into silence.

So Alphys answered, shakily, ‘It worked, but not the way we'd planned. Undyne and I are… we have…”

She then frowned, her hands going limp when she realised she didn't know how to describe it. She sighed and gave up, instead beginning to spell it out.

But as she did, she once again broke the silence – literally.

Because as she started to spell it out, her lips moved alongside her hands. She expected no sound to come out when she mouthed the words she was spelling – 'Our souls are one. We've merged them' – but sound followed, and she with it, she simply _said_ it aloud, faster than she could sign it. 

And her hands dropped, just as her eyes went wide – and she stared at Toriel, closing her mouth and pressing her lips together. Her voice had been low and soft, but coherent - and _real_.

Toriel beamed at her, her eyes filling with tears the second she realised she was _hearing_ the words, not _seeing_ them – and also because she recognised the timbre of it - though not because of Alphys.

Alphys's eyes also filled, before she started to laugh – and again, she was heard, by both of them.

“Alphys!” Toriel cried. “How did such a miracle _happen?!_ Was it--? Is _that_ why you had sans inject Undyne with your DT?! Is it because the connection is severed?"

Alphys nodded, then shook her head, before covering her face, and she began to tremble, her entire body suddenly feeling as if it weighed thousands of kilos. She leaned heavily against Toriel, then, going silent and breaking into a shocked sweat. She moved a hand away – and reached _back_ , scratching hard at the base of her tail.

She began to shiver, and she felt like she was going to throw up, her tail throbbing in time with her increasing heartrate, the pain beginning to spread along the base and to its tip, so much that she cringed, clinging to Toriel in scared confusion.

Toriel frowned, even more confused, her eyes following Alphys's hand, and she saw that her friend's tail was slowly turning a dark red, as if losing circulation.

Alphys kept scratching, whimpering a little when she started scraping away scales, but she couldn't stop scratching. 

* * *

Because neither could Undyne.

But here was the difference: for Undyne, it made sense. What was happening, was happening to her, and Alphys was feeling it because of their new connection.

But this was also happening thanks to that renewed and deepened bond - thanks to that single shot of DT.

Alphys's.

 _This_ was what Alphys remembered feeling like on her eighteenth birthday, the second her sides began to rip apart – and, though she hadn't known it, then, mutate into gills.

Undyne was lying down on the bed by now, face down, her face buried into the pillow, and her hands held onto handfuls of blanket, so hard that they shook and the material ripped. She couldn't help it; the pain in her backside - Is _it my ass?_ \- could no longer be ignored, no matter how embarrassed she felt about it. It had now gone beyond pride, the pain increasing to unbearable, and she collapsed beneath it, starting to sob and claw at the sheets, writhing from it and wanting to claw her tailbone out. Her entire spine started throbbing, and it felt like her tailbone was about to explode - or implode - and scratching was her only defence.

She was too dazed to recognise it.

She kept scratching, and the relief it brought was agonisingly brief; she started scratching _too_ hard in reply, _too_ _often_ , and her hands soon became caked in scales and sticky blood and clotted skin, especially under her nails. She kept at it, clawed at it desperately, trying to dig out the offending part that was hurting her, only all she got were scales and blood.

Mettaton and sans were watching this with frozen horror, for probably way too long, both paralysed by this sudden turn back to nightmareville.

It was only when Undyne suddenly arched up and screamed that they both managed to come back to life.

Mettaton knelt back down and grabbed the bowl and cloth, quickly dousing it and rinsing it, before trying to clean her face of sweat and smeared blood. 

Undyne's eye opened briefly, only to accompany a snarl, before her free hand clawed at his arm until he moved it away from her scarlet, sweat-streaked face. She bared her teeth, unable to speak, before she dragged his hand as low as she dared – to her lower back – and let go, gesturing to where her other hand scratched, now urging him to do the same, with his stronger fingers.

Sans's eyes went out, and he felt his soul drop to his slippers. Thanks to Alphys, _he_  recognised that look, and he knew what it meant – and what he had to do as a result.

“Where are the knives?” he snapped out, lunging toward what was obviously a kitchen and starting to open random drawers at random. “Dammit, help me find a knife!”

Mettaton remained still. “Why do you need a knife?” he answered, both times, his voice flat and blank.

Undyne snarled wordlessly again, but her eye opened and found Sans. She then looked back at Mettaton, before nodding and looking back at Sans – but Mettaton did nothing.

“Where are the _knives, man?!”_ Sans exploded, his fists slamming onto the old formica countertop. _“I wouldn't ask if I didn't mean it!!”_

“Third drawer from the right,” Mettaton answered, the look in those empty eyes scaring him into losing his pride. “But why--?”

Sans didn't answer. He found the drawer and rummaged through it, until he found the biggest and sharpest knife in the bunch. He tested it against his own fingerbone, then nodding and rushed back over, standing beside Mettaton.

Undyne opened her eye and met Sans's again, and when he raised his hand, she nodded. Her eye went to it, and for a moment, her fear was as naked as her back. But she then gritted her teeth and shut her eye, before she laid back down on her front – and began to pull down her shorts, her face burning with shame.

But Sans wasn't embarrassed, even when she ended up showing him most of her ass. She _had_ to; the place in question was right at her tailbone, at the base of her spine, and was starting to swell in size.

When she snuck a look, she shut her eye again tight, her stomach falling with horror. The base of her spine was swollen and bright red, and it kept growing. When she looked next, she realised she could see... _something_ beneath her now-stretched out skin, something like…

_…a spiral?_

Sans had known what it was before then, but once he saw _that_ , he knew for sure, and he shoved Mettaton aside, making the ghostbot stumble back and lean against the closest surface, but he stayed in place, watching with clear and obvious shock.

Sans growled out, “You know what I gotta do?”

 _“Do it already!”_ she snarled back, shutting her eyes and clenching her teeth tight.

He cringed, then took a breath – and lowered the knife to her pulsing skin.

* * *

Alphys cried out, the pain slicing into the base of her tail, so real that she expected blood when she reached back.

Instead, all she got was sweat and scales, and the only blood she found was from her previous scratching.

But then, something stranger happened.

Her tail began to stretch itself out, into a tall, upright line, and she collapsed onto her front, the pain starting to ease as it did. She shuddered, closing her eyes and keeping her face hidden in the cot's threadbare pillow, and soon, she felt Toriel begin to rub her back.

Her tail relaxed, then slumped back down, and Alphys concentrated only on Toriel's touch, letting its comfort go not just through her, but to Undyne, too.

* * *

Undyne did indeed feel it, and she sobbed weakly, her entire body shaking with exhaustion.

But it didn't make reality any less real, and what was real was what Sans had just cut free – and what was now arching up into the air, a straight line to the ceiling, until it too lost its strength and slumped back down.

_A tail._

A tail like a minnow's, only the transparent membranes were stained with bright red, and the rest was as blue and as scaled at the rest of her skin. It was long – it reached well past her knees – and when she felt it drop against the back of one of her thighs, she let the rest of herself relax, too.

She had a tail, now.

She could live with that.

It was bloodied, and trembled, and she wasn't quite sure how it worked, yet – and she was too tired to try too hard – but it was her own, and it was real.

She gasped out a laugh, feeling a cold tear streak down her cheek.

She heard Sans and Mettaton start talking, but instead of listening, she retreated inward.

_Alphy?_

* * *

By now, Alphys was losing _her_ ability to stay awake without help, too, and Toriel kept having to shake her back to. The final time was to redress her, and though she didn't understand why, she complied like a sleepwalker.

But once she was fully dressed, she had fallen asleep upon the cot, and no amount of shaking would rouse her.

Toriel swallowed hard, making sure Alphys was okay, before she left her bedside – and searched for the phone.

* * *

_Alphys heard her name, and she followed it, until she found Undyne._

_After an embrace, both Undyne and Alphys reached behind, and when Undyne turned around and wagged her new tail, Alphys grabbed hold of it between her hands and laughed happily._

_Then, they embraced again, only to curl up in their nest of green and fall asleep, their tails curled around each other the entire time._

_Second-nature, now._


	62. Sour Grapes and Bloody Apples

“She's asleep.”

They said it together, the second both knew that they spoke to the person they sought to, and then there was a pause – before Toriel laughed softly, and Mettaton closed his eyes.

“Yes, I imagine that that should be expected from now on, yes?” Toriel added, a waver to her voice that was not of mirth. "Their moods will forever duet?"

Mettaton looked over to Undyne, now, watching as sans carefully washed her tail, and she slept through it. He cleared her skin of blood, loosened scales, and threads of skin, then to soothe the torn and bleeding parts once able.

“Yes,” he agreed weakly. “Okay. You have Alphys?”

“I do. I just need to leave here. I have her on a cot and dressed, with all of the belongings I could find.... as well as anything interesting that Gaster may.... miss.”

Mettaton grinned. “You were once a very formidable opponent, weren't you, My Lady?”

“Oh, perhaps,” she returned gaily, and he could hear the slight relief in those two little words. “When can I leave here? Please?”

“As soon as you can. sans says to not worry about locking the True Lab; just get out of there and get here. He'll do the rest, he said."

"Do you think there's a way to seal the tunnels from that Lab, instead?”

“We won’t know anything for sure until we're all together, again, and so far, we aren't,” Mettaton replied. “Hang up and get back here, before Gaster finds you, please!”

“there's no chance of that,” sans suddenly called from the level below. “my brother promised that he would make sure my father stays distracted until he's certain we're all safe. once _you_ get back here, i’m going back for _him_.”

“You are not,” Toriel snapped, forgetting she could not speak directly to him, despite being able to hear him. “You need to stay there and remain safe, too.”

“i need to get back and pretend i'm still loyal, at least until i can free my brother,” sans answered sharply. “you won't change my mind, so let's not waste time and just plan around it.”

Toriel sighed, and so did Mettaton. Clearly, she was conceding on that, because in truth, she already had what she'd wanted in the first place; once she left with Alphys, she could escape to the surface with Asgore, Undyne, and Mettaton, and join Asriel and Chara in their hotel.

Then, they would work to expose Gaster…

_Then… then…_

_So much more to do…_ Toriel realised, her stomach falling.

Aloud, she said, “On my way,” before she hung up.

She went back to Alphys, finding her deep asleep but comfortably so, despite lying on her front, and she made sure she was securely in the bed before she went to move it.

Before she did, however, Toriel turned around and found the tube, and her eyes narrowed, her palms suddenly growing hot – _too_ hot.

She held them up, and they burst into flame.

She walked over calmly, not even afraid of her own fire, and she reached down and buried her hands within the dried up insides, letting loose the hours upon hours of anguish and dread, of broken hopes and nightmares. The flames engulfed the tube almost too fast for her eyes to follow, and in a mere minute, she had reduced it to ash and melted plastic.

She pulled away, her hands growing cold, before she nodded, satisfaction calming her heart.

There was no way he could ever repair that.

 _Ever_.

She smiled thinly, then moved away, pushing it from her mind the second she did.

Then, she got to work.

* * *

As Undyne slept, Mettaton prepared for Alphys and Toriel's arrival, and sans left through another tunnel, instead making his way back to Deltarune. He didn't tell anyone, not even Mettaton, so that once the ghostbot had returned, he was shocked to find him already gone.

But he _had_ said it: he needed his brother.

Mettaton didn't want to get in the way of that; he felt similarly about Alphys.

Once he was certain there was room, he began to pace, his eyes occasionally going to the camera feeds when he walked past them. sans had failed in connecting them to Deltarune's, but they still offered a great deal of warning, in case anyone was on their way to attack them.

He didn't even stop to think that, when it came down to it, Gaster simply didn't care enough about Alphys to bother.

Not like he would have for Papyrus.

* * *

Who was now leading his father by the hand to the place he knew sans had set the circuit-breaker.

He felt strange, as if he were the parent, patiently leading the child to the scene of their crime, but when he looked back at Gaster, all he saw was wounded relief.

It confused Papyrus.

It made his entire soul grow cold, conflicted. Almost _enraged_ at times, if he thought about it. Gaster clearly loved Papyrus, and had been terrified into believing he'd been kidnapped. He'd been so angry, so afraid, that he'd tortured his own daughter, just to expel that rage.

And Papyrus didn't like that.

At all.

He didn't like that he was the cause of someone else's pain – least of all his sister's – despite not being _directly_ responsible.

When Gaster walked over and knelt down before the broken circuit-box, Papyrus winced, noticing that the damage was far more extensive than he'd anticipated, and it was clear that it had not been done by a mere soccer ball.

No ball save a _wrecking_ ball could have created such damage.

And yet all Gaster did was close his eyes and sigh deeply, before the words floated up in the dim lighting.

_‘I don't care. I'm just happy you're safe.’_

And again, it felt wrong. It felt _so_ wrong.

Papyrus didn't let it show, but it was almost impossible not to. The weight of that wrongness was suffocating him, and it made him realise how much he'd missed about his own father.

Until then, he'd seen Gaster as a long-distance _uncle_. He saw _sans_ as his parent, not Gaster, and was happy by the arrangement.

While Gaster often visited, and especially made time for Papyrus, alone, those feelings never changed.

But he’d never noticed the differences between how he was treated, and how sans was treated, until faced with them.

Now, he could see nothing else.

Now, all he could see was how unfair sans's life had been, how cruel Alphys's had been, and how… _lucky_ , how _fortunate_ … his own life was.

And yet, instead of gratitude, all he felt was shameful disgust.

Gaster then stood up, turning to Papyrus with a gentle smile. ‘I know you didn't mean to,’ he signed, his hands smooth and without the tremour they'd held just moments prior. ‘I understand. This will be easy to repair, once I order a replacement. For now, I’ll back up the power on the magic grid.’

Papyrus stared at his hands the entire time, entranced by these words.

_That was it?_

The supposed lie was that Papyrus had been messing about in places he didn't belong, playing with a toy he wasn't allowed to play with, and had managed to kick it hard enough into a circuit-breaker box and make it explode – all while the ball survived…

And Gaster believed it, because Papyrus never lied, and he knew he could be trusted.

 _Unlike sans, whom he'll never trust, no matter how obedient he is_ , Papyrus thought.

_He better not come back._

_He better not return for me._

_He better not be that stupid._

But of course he was.

* * *

Despite being reassured, Toriel ran like she was being chased by her worst nightmare, careening down each dimly-lit passageway like a madwoman, many times catching the cot too sharply on a corner, which would make Alphys jar and gasp – which made Toriel freeze in place, refusing to move until Alphys again settled.

Then, she set off yet again, only to do the same thing several turns later.

And again.

Until finally, she crashed right into the last doorway – and instead of smashing into it, it opened right away, and she ran right in.

Only to _then_ hit the wall in front of her – the wall of the Lab.

“Shit!” Mettaton yelped, jumping back just in time before she smashed the cot into him, instead. He'd heard her coming, and opened the door to let her in, but he hasn’t anticipated _this_.

Alphys cried out, as that had been more than a mere jolt, and she was now wide awake. She sat up, her eyes flaring wide and her face pale, her vision still blurry from lack of glasses and sleep.

But suddenly, now that she was awake, none of it mattered. She swallowed hard, her head turning toward the staircase (up), before she slowly pushed herself up and slid down from the cot, holding onto it and making sure her tail remained out to balance her, the movement making her dizzy.

She felt someone take one of her hands and place it upon a cold, firm forearm, and she smiled before opening her eyes, again. She raised her hand, then let it drop, instead not bothering with the pretence.

“Thank you,” she whispered instead, the words barely words.

She coughed right after, wincing and feeling sharp pain in both her sides, and when she coughed again… something came up.

Alphys stopped, hunched over – and threw up _blood_ , right on the tiles of her home.

Right when Undyne had made it to the bottom of the staircase (down), drawn to Alphys the same way she was drawn to Undyne.

* * *

Sans threw the door open, relieved that Toriel left it unlocked, and he ran right through it, dragging it closed behind him. With empty eyes, he swung back and locked it, then turned back and made his way around the room.

The first thing he saw was the tube.

It stopped him in his tracks, the state of it stunning him.

There was no questioning the level of violence it took to render such a piece of equipment so useless, and it made him remember just how dangerous Toriel really was.

 _You are so very lucky this didn't happen sooner, old man,_ he thought to his father silently, almost hopefully, as if he could pick up those thoughts and be angered by them.

But he didn't have time for that.

Instead, he began to rummage through the True Lab – and gut it, removing as much valuable components that he could, making sure to render as much as he could both useless and unsalvageable, the pieces going into one of his dimensional boxes.

He wouldn't be able to use them, either, but that was the point; even if someone else found them long after his death – which he doubted, anyway – there was no using them without the rest of the parts left behind.

And Sans was going to make sure that no one would be able to access these parts, either.

He just hoped he had enough time before he was found – and killed.

* * *

Alphys dropped to her knees, coughing in earnest now, reeling from each gut-wrenching expulsion. Every second cough brought up more blood, but it was strange looking, very dark and almost… rusty-coloured.

With it came… _chunks_ … of _something_ … and for a horrified moment, Alphys was certain that she was coughing up her _lungs_ , years of puffer use finally rotting through her throat (though of course such a thing was impossible – even back then). She dropped to her hands, tears running down her cheeks from closed eyes, and she choked, struggling to get a hold over her breaths.

But then, she felt familiar, beloved arms go around her – and with them came _warmth_ , and _healing_.

Alphys's soul responded, reaching out, and it met Undyne's already-questing soul at once. She moaned softly, and Undyne pulled her closer, holding her around her chest, both to keep her up – but to also help her vomit.

She knew why Alphys was doing so, and _only_ she knew.

Because only she ever _could_.

“Get a bowl and some towels!” Undyne cried, her voice still hoarse from her own ordeals. She was still anaemic, even now. “And water! Tori, use your magic to heat it!”

Alphys choked again, then hurled, and Undyne lunged, holding her hand under Alphys's mouth. More blood and bits came up, and more tears ran down Alphys's paled cheeks, but Undyne wasn't afraid. And because of that, Alphys wasn't, either. She trusted her new soulmate, could feel that she had every right to, and she simply followed her lead, knowing she was in good hands.

 _Literally_.

Toriel got up to help Mettaton, only to join him at the end of the staircase (down), her hands already hot. He handed to bowl of water to her, and as they walked over, she heated it. He gave Undyne a second empty bowl, and she replaced her hand with it, using a towel to clean of her hand absent between.

Alphys, during the entire ordeal, went into shock. The sight of so much blood – and _bits_ – coming up from within herself was terrifying her, and she was scared that she was dying - _again_.

And yet even though she remained in that shock, she didn't lose it; Undyne held her, both body and soul, and she let her, trusting her.

When Undyne encouraged her to cough, she did. When she said to drink, she did – and threw up right after, just like Undyne urged her to. Each time, the blood was thinning, and soon, she was able to see what those pieces were – and calm down.

 _That's not lung_ , she told herself slowly, stupid from shock. _That's tissue, but not lung._

It looked like bloody knots, like chunks of clotted scalp, and it made her gag from disgust.

Toriel saw it and cried out with fear, and Mettaton almost blanked out.

Only Undyne remained unafraid, her body shaking without fear, her face pale without terror. Her eye was bright with jubilation, and her lips were grinning, not grimacing, even as she winced a few times, or murmured to Alphys to comfort her and keep her going.

It felt like forever, but soon, Alphys slowed down her heaving, then stopped. She collapsed onto the floor, pressing her sweat-slicked forehead to the cold ground, and Undyne moved the bowl just in time before Alphys faceplanted into it.

When Alphys felt that cold relief and relaxed, Undyne smiled and pushed the bowl aside, then leaned down and pressed her cheek against Alphys's. Her beloved stirred, her eyelids fluttering, and Undyne murmured more soft gibberish to her, making her murmur back and move close to her.

“Come up here, please,” she then whispered.

Alphys nodded, sluggishly crawling into Undyne's lap and resting her cheek against her chest. Her tail reached out, and with muscles she was still getting used to, Undyne reached out with her own, and curled hers around Alphys's.

Alphys shivered with gratitude, already feeling so much better, and Undyne held her close, warming her and holding her and rocking her, comforting her as well as herself, and all on the floor, forgetting anyone and everyone else.

Toriel and Mettaton had been frozen during all of this, too shocked and scared to do a thing, save gawk. Now that Alphys was calming down, and Undyne was taking the time to wash her face and lips, the two looked at each other, their bewilderment just as strong as before.

Alphys coughed up a few more chunks a few more times after that, but once she was completely done, she could tell the difference.

She could _feel_ it.

She hadn't noticed it before then, because for almost half of her life, it had been the norm.

But now that it was gone, it was obvious what _that_ had been, and she felt silly that she hadn't realised it, all while wondering what had caused it all to come loose now in the first place.

She was about to answer that, herself.

* * *

Gaster and Papyrus left the room, Papyrus holding his soccer ball while Gaster kept a hand upon one of his shoulders. His long fingers dug into the epaulets, through them and into his own shoulderbone, and he looked up covertly as they walked, on their way back to Gaster's office.

Gaster looked relieved, his eyes wide and his posture strangely demure. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't frowning. His eyes remained forward, and though his gait was low, his steps were long. He was clearly bothered by the unrest and the power-shortage, and was also deeply nervous about Undyne, and where she could be by now.

 _If he had any way of knowing that I'm thinking the same things, only on the opposite end, what would happen to me?_ Papyrus wondered.

_Would I be punished?_

_Or would he just laugh it off?_

_What makes me so special?!_

_Why do I deserve this?_

_Why do sans and Alphys not deserve this?_

“FATHER,” he said softly, “I AM VERY SORRY FOR THE DAMAGE I CAUSED. I FEAR I MAY HAVE DONE SOMETHING TERRIBLE, _BEYOND_ THE POWER GOING OUT.”

Papyrus knew that by saying this, he was walking on dangerous ground. He knew he was potentially setting himself up, and wondered if he was doing it on purpose.

He didn't know why he bothered worrying, really.

Gaster merely smiled thinly, and the words glittered before them as they walked. _‘Don't worry about that. Whatever has happened, I can deal with it. I always do.’_

Papyrus felt more anger, frustrated. He realised he had been setting himself up, after all, and was mad that it failed. “FATHER, WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT HARM DID I CAUSE?”

 _‘We cannot know anything for certain until we tally up all of the damage,’_ was the evenly-written reply. _‘You do not have to worry about it.’_

They stopped, finally back at the office. They went in, and Gaster immediately went to the desk.

Papyrus hovered in the doorway, his eyes going to the broken screen, and he felt his soul plummet, slowly understanding _why_ that screen was broken.

“WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE?” he asked.

Gaster went still for a moment. He was clearly weighing his options, wondering how much truth he could try to _offer_ his son, after it was clear to both that he was lying, even to himself.

 _‘A fight,’_ his words answered, the font small and thin. His eyes clouded over, falling on the remains of the Howdy-Do, and with it, remembered what _he'd_ done in return.

When he smiled at the memory, Papyrus looked away, feeling sick. It was a sadistic smile, and he knew it was at the expense of his sister.

And the worst part was that he had no clue where that sister was, or if she was even still alive...

Suddenly, the phone rang, and both Gaster and Papyrus jumped.

Gaster sighed; usually, during the day, if he expected a call, he would make sans take it.

Instead, now, he looked to Papyrus. His trust was still true.

But Papyrus hesitated, suddenly unsure if he should pick it up.

What if it was specifically for him, and he had to answer in front of Gaster?

What if Gaster heard the voice and knew it to be an enemy's?

_What if--?_

‘Please pick up the phone?’ Gaster signed, and Papyrus paused, then did.

“HELLO, DR GASTER'S OFFICE,” he said quickly, making his situation clear to the person on the other line.

Again, he needn't of worried. “it's me, bro. we got it done. try not to react, save relief, okay?”

Papyrus did, allowing himself to slouch a little and close his sockets, his breath whooshing out of him. He hadn't realised how terrified he'd been until he knew it was almost over.

“now, tell dear ol' pa that it's me, and that i'm calling from the true lab – but i’m not. got me?”

“SANS, IS IT REALLY YOU?” he answered in reply, hoping to convey both confirmation as well as the truth: he really was relieved it was him.

Gaster jumped and turned to him, then reached out.

Hurriedly, Papyrus stepped back and said, “IT'S SANS, FATHER. HE'S CALLING FROM THE TRUE LAB.”

Gaster's hand went still between them, before he let it drop. The other went behind him, quickly searching for something to hold onto, before he lowered himself down into his chair.

He knew.

He knew, and didn't _want_ to know.

But his second set of hands still asked. ‘ _What does he want?’_

“FATHER WANTS TO KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE,” Papyrus repeated.

“of course he would,” sans agreed, “because he knows he's _fucked_. we got her out, bro. he _tubed her.”_

Papyrus felt a chill snake through him.

He knew what that meant, of course. He'd learnt about it from sans the first week he'd got here.

“OKAY,” he croaked out.

“deep breaths, bro,” sans coaxed him, and he obeyed. “good. i'm calling from _a_ lab, okay? you understand?”

“I DO.”

“okay, then listen closely, because I can only say it once, okay?”

“YES.”

 _‘Is there a problem?’_ Gaster suddenly asked, signing it with both sets of hands. _‘What is sans saying? Put him on speakerphone.'_

Papyrus didn't know how to, so he didn't. Instead, he focused on sans, as he was talking at the same time, to mask his own words.

“okay. tell him that i found alphys in the tube, and that she's about to die. okay? it's not true, okay? but say it.”

“FATHER…” Papyrus said, his voice wavering with true emotion. He was picturing Alphys in that tube, making it real for him, and he felt panic bite into his soul. “FATHER, SANS SAYS ALPHYS IS IN A TUBE, AND SHE IS ABOUT TO DIE. DOES HE MEAN…?”

He was unable to finish.

Gaster blinked, then sat up, one hand going to his own mouth. His eyes widened, before they lit up.

_His eyes lit up._

Papyrus stared at him, and for the first time, he saw him as he truly was, as he was for everyone else.

And he was afraid.

“he liked hearing that, didn't he? that's why he's quiet.”

“YES,” Papyrus muttered.

 _‘Papyrus, read my words, then tell them to him, alright?'_  Gaster duel-signed, his face changing to a gentler, kinder visage. _‘Tell sans that it's fine to keep her in there, and to let her crumble, okay? She's not needed, anymore. And remember that what we're talking about is simply a game we're playing together. Do you know what a scavenger hunt is?’_

Papyrus nodded slowly.

_‘This part is referring to a type of experiment. He's found the one I asked for, but apparently, it isn't holding up, so he can let it die, and use an alternate in its place. Understand?’_

For a moment, Papyrus didn't. The words were _asinine_ , insulting, and they hurt.

In a single paragraph, Gaster had not only lied to him, but proven to him that all he was seen as was a child, a _stupid_ child, and he was being placated and humoured.

But instead of saying any of that, Papyrus simply repeated the words, reading them out to sans, before letting his voice go silent, as Gaster let them fade.

On the other end, Papyrus heard a snarl, followed by a loud smash, then another snarl – but of pain, not anger, like the first.

“ow,” sans added. “i punched the computer screen and cracked it. what an asshole. okay. tell him i got it, and that i’ll bring the dust as soon as i have it. then i want you to find a way to get outta there, okay? find a way to hide, until you're found, got it?”

“FATHER, SANS SAYS HE WILL BRING _HER_ DUST WHEN HE HAS IT. WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO CONCLUDE WITH?”

Gaster smiled wider, once again forgetting his audience, and he placed his fingertips together before him, while his other hands spoke for him.

_‘Good. Bring it in as lazy a container as possible. The worse, the better. Extra points. Then hang up.’_

Papyrus repeated the words flatly, before adding, “I MUST GO, NOW.”

“okay. remember: get outta there. hang up.”

He obeyed.

**Author's Note:**

> When it comes to the use of sign language, I will be displaying it like the following:
> 
> Sign language will be shown within the single-dash quotation marks ('meh').  
> Spoken language will be shown within the single-dash quotation marks ("meh").
> 
> In case it wasn't obvious, here's the list of characters and their movie/book counterparts:
> 
> Alphys: Elisa  
> Undyne: the Asset  
> Metta: Giles  
> Toriel: Zelda  
> Asgore: Zelda's husband, Brewster (kinda)  
> Papyrus: Sans's brother (no movie counterpart)  
> Sans: Hoffstetler  
> Gaster: Strickland


End file.
